I'm really glad you found your way to this one.
Today I want to talk about something we don't spend nearly enough time exploring.
That feeling of being struck still by something bigger than yourself.
A night sky thick with stars,
The size of an old tree.
The sound of waves you can't see the end of I still remember standing at the edge of a canyon years ago and feeling my thoughts go completely quiet for the first time in months.
That moment changed how I think about wonder.
And it stayed with me ever since.
Awe is a little bit misunderstood.
We tend to think of it as rare,
Something reserved for grand vacations or once-in-a-lifetime views.
But researchers who study this emotion have found that awe is one of the most powerful tools we have for shrinking stress and expanding perspective.
When we experience awe,
Activity quiets in the part of the brain associated with self-focus.
The same region tied to rumination and anxious thinking.
In simple terms,
All makes us feel smaller in a good way.
It reminds us that our problems,
While real,
Are real.
Exist inside something much larger.
And that shift alone can bring real relief.
Awe has also been linked to lower inflammation markers and increased feelings of connection to others.
It isn't just a nice feeling.
It's a nervous system reset.
Let's slow down for a moment before we go further.
Take a breath in.
And let it out slowly.
Let your shoulders soften.
You don't need to search for anything right now.
Just be open to noticing.
The first place I want to guide you is nature.
Because it's the most reliable doorway into awe that exists.
You don't need a canyon or a mountain range.
If you really look at it.
Has been alive longer than most of what's happening in your life right now.
Look at the way its branches split and reach,
The way light moves through its leaves.
The next time you're outside,
I want you to actually stop walking for 30 seconds and just look up.
Not scroll.
Now think about your to-do list.
Just look.
That's the entry point.
The second subtopic is vastness.
Awe often shows up when we encounter something whose scale we can't fully wrap our minds around.
Such as the ocean,
The night sky,
And outer space.
Or something like a wide open field.
If you can.
Spend a few minutes tonight looking up at the stars.
Even from your porch or a parking lot.
Let yourself really consider that the light you're seeing left its source thousands of years ago.
That kind of perspective has a way of putting a hard day back into proportion.
The third is human excellence and kindness.
Awe isn't only found in landscapes.
It's found in watching someone do something with extraordinary skill.
Dedication or generosity.
Like a musician fully in their craft or a stranger going out of their way to help someone else.
I want you to think of one moment where someone's actions genuinely moved you.
And let yourself sit with that memory for a few seconds.
Notice how it feels in your chest.
The fourth is the awe of the everyday and overlooked.
Sometimes wonder hides in small,
Unremarkable places.
The complexity of your own hand.
The fact that your heart has been beating this entire time without you asking it to.
The improbability of a single seed becoming a full-grown plant.
Try this today.
Pick one ordinary object near you.
And study it as if you'd never seen anything like it before.
You'll be surprised how much wonder is hiding in plain sight.
And one I try to return to often is awe through sound.
Music,
Especially the kind that builds slowly and swells.
Can trigger the exact same nervous system response as standing in front of something vast.
The next time a song gives you chills,
Don't brush past that.
Pause and let yourself fully feel it.
That reaction is your body recognizing something meaningful.
Let's take one more breath together.
And out.
Notice if anything feels a little more open than it did a few minutes ago.
Before we close,
I want to leave you with this.
Awe isn't something you have to travel far to find or wait years to experience.
It's available in a tree outside your window,
In a stranger's kindness.
In the sound of a song that catches you off guard.
The more you practice noticing it,
The more often it finds you.
Carry this with you.
Look up.
Look closer.
And let yourself be moved by things bigger than your worries.
Even for a few seconds at a time.
Thank you for spending this time with yourself.
I'll see you again soon.
