Cultivating Awe
Keely Adler and
Cultivating Awe
Laura Francois, founder of the research collective Awe Exchange, who hosted a “Room of Awe” at our recent festival in Tangier, thinks that awe can mobilize and empower social action. She’s specifically interested in what might happen if eco-anxiety were replaced with eco-awe.
🏡 Shock and Awe
Awe is not a lens through which to see the world but our sole path to seeing. Any other lens is not a lens but a veil. And I’ve come to believe that our beholding—seeing the veils of this world peeled back again and again, if only for a moment—is no small form of salvation.
Cole Arthur Riley • This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us
‘As we work to reverse these long-term socio-economic and socio-political trends to foster more connections to others, stronger communities, more pro-sociality and more kindness, in the short term it would make more sense to foster more experiences of awe, for ourselves and for others. It might, at least, serve as a shortcut to the kinds of
... See moreRob Hopkins • From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want
In an era when people trust businesses more than they trust governments and nonprofits, companies are uniquely poised to spark wonder and curiosity. Whether they advocate for climate action, aim to create workplaces that foster connection and belonging as powerful tools against loneliness and social isolation, or seek to promote overall social... See more
🏡 Shock and Awe
Wonder includes the capacity to be in awe of humanity, even your own. It allows us to jettison the dangerous belief that things worthy of wonder can only be located on nature hikes and scenic overlooks. This can distract us from the beauty flowing through us daily. For every second that our organs and bones sustain us is a miracle. When those bones
... See moreCole Arthur Riley • This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us
More than the grand beauties of our lives, wonder is about having the presence to pay attention to the commonplace. It could be said that to find beauty in the ordinary is a deeper exercise than climbing to the mountaintop.
Cole Arthur Riley • This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us
The Sense of Wonder
goodreads.com
Rachel Carson's best known book is Silent Spring, but this book (originally an essay) is a personal favorite. She maintained a deep conviction that wonder has to be at the foundation of our relationship with wider world. This book is a demonstration of that belief, and a celebration of the expansive potential of curiosity and wonder. Her writing is a great reminder that with enough attention, adults can develop the 'clear eyed vision' that comes naturally to children, but fades over time if not kept alive.