AOK Today #42 - Awe-some

AOK Today: Make time today to experience awe

One "who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” ― Albert Einstein

How It Works: Many people consciously subscribe a negative connotation to the notion and feeling of insignificance. In reality, insignificance is a feeling a lot of us unknowingly chase through experiences of awe. Dacher Keltner explains that when we feel awe, appreciating something vast and/or mysterious, our sense of self becomes comfortingly small. We feel humble and quiet. We might tear up or get tingles and our hearts may feel warm. The default mode network in our brain (where the ego resides) deactivates, and our vagus nerve (which can trigger a relaxation response) activates. We feel calm. We feel connected. It's that physiological side of "wow..." Dacher points to "the eight wonders of life" that provide awe-inspiring moments (below). Choose one to indulge in today either live or virtually.

• Moral beauty (people's courage, kindness, the ability to overcome obstacles)

• Nature

• Collective movement (in sport chants, religious rituals, dance)

• Music

• Visual design

• Spirituality

• Big ideas

• The beginning of life and its end

Cost: Free

Why I love it: There is no feeling like it for me, other than maybe love. I try to find it everywhere, and the more I look for it, the easier it is to see. Dacher refers to a host of research around the experience of awe's association with a reduction in depression, and an improvement in cardiovascular health and the immune system.

Happy Giving |XOX|