Awe and Wonder

Primary Contributor: Claire Sullivan

Claire’s Story of Awe

Growing up in the vineyard-covered hills of Northern California, I had quite the landscape to observe. Towering redwoods, grapevines patterning the hills, animal-shaped clouds in the sky, golden grass in the summer that danced in the wind—it all was mesmerizing. These beautiful sites always caught my eye. I regularly seized the opportunity to pause and take it all in. No matter if I was having a good or bad day, I could always count on those moments of looking out the car window to find something extraordinary about the ordinary around me. It’s hard to describe, but I almost could just enjoy the state of “being”—taking in everything around me without needing to manipulate the situation. I didn’t realize it back then, but those day-to-day moments of looking out the window were moments of awe and wonder.

Now you may be thinking, “How on earth is looking out the window related to wonder?” Well, at first I was struck with the emotion of awe, where I could see great landscapes and feel a part of something bigger than myself. This emotion then propelled me to have curiosity about how the landscape came to be, to admire the beauty, and to feel open to what may come next. I wasn’t trying to manipulate or change the situation, but I was able to feel wonder in the simplest of moments. Wonder is a feeling of admiration coupled with an openness to accepting what is in front of you (Davis, 2021). It allows you to pause and receive whatever you are viewing. Usually people can think of times they felt wonder as kids. For example, when I was a kid, I felt moments of wonder looking at the Christmas tree with the lights glistening, or climbing up the oak tree in my front yard and observing the ants marching in line, or while eagerly listening to my parents read me Tikki Tikki Tembo before bed. Ok, maybe now you are starting to remember some instances of wonder while growing up. You may be thinking, “Sure wonder is great for kids, but how does this relate to me now?” Well, the good news is that wonder isn’t just for kids; it’s for adults too! This module will teach you how awe and wonder relate to you today, why they are important, and how you can cultivate more awe and wonder in your life.