Cultivating Awe
Keely Adler and
Cultivating Awe
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
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
All creativity requires letting go. We let go by having some fun. We have some fun by staying curious. We stay curious by being 100% present for what's unfolding. The antidote to product-anxiety is process-delight. Become more focused on process & you just might sneak up on awe.
nametwitter.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.