Looking for More

We had some drizzly rain overnight and this morning...but things seemed dry for the most part when I went for an early afternoon walk. Once I spotted the first set of drops on a leaf by the pond...I couldn't stop looking for more.  

There were dozens of leaves that had collected these sparkly water droplets..some large...some teeny tiny. I was smitten.

The wabi-sabi earthy colors....contrasted by the shimmery beads of water filled me with awe. I love when a walk turns into an awe walk.

Radical Noticing

"How do we see the world as sacred again? By radical noticing. Looking for awe in all of life." Lucy Jones 

(found in an interesting article on slime molds recommended by Suzy. Yes...you heard that right...slime molds.)

My day was highlighted by two awe inspiring events I want to share.

The first was a mid morning awe walk where I found great delight in the bits of color punctuating the mostly neutral winter landscape.

Then I had lunch date and downtown stroll with my son Sam. 

We went to Oun Lido's.....a Cambodian restaurant run by one of Sam and Kelly's friends and also where Kelly (his girlfriend) works part time. The food was incredible and the company was AWEsome.

While we were downtown I got a tour of his friend's tattoo shop....and I wondered if any other mom got a tour of a tattoo shop today.

Even though I know nothing about tattoos....I felt right at home in this creative space covered from floor to ceiling in artwork. There were snippets and trinkets...  posters and artwork....and  patterns and tools everywhere. It was quite impressive!

Then we took a peak at one of Kelly's murals she painted several years ago. 

It's amazing to see art done on this scale. It takes a lot of vision and planning.

Quality time with my son with a little radical noticing thrown in....

was just what I needed today.

As requested by Mary....the butternut squash chicken stew recipe from yesterday's post can be found here: https://www.cookincanuck.com/hearty-chicken-stew-with-butternut-squash-quinoa-recipe/

Inside Awe Walk

Yesterday's post prompted Tracie to do an inside awe walk....and the first thing that caught her attention was this beautiful bowl of oranges in her kitchen. The color...the shadows....the dotted background...it was awe inspiring! Thanks Tracie!

Dacher Keltner identified 8 wonders of life that can inspire awe. They can be found anywhere...inside or out. And they can be a simple as a bowl of fruit on your counter. Awe is in the eye of the beholder! 

Nature

Music

Visual design, art, and culture

Moral beauty, other people's kindness and courage

Collective effervescence, that feeling you get at a ballpark or yoga class

Spiritual experiences

Epiphanies, big ideas and dreams

Life and Death, the feeling that everyday is precious

Wonder and Awe

Subtitle: Awe Walks, They're Good For Your Health!

Marian sent me a link to an article from Huffpost which linked to a Podcast from the Am I Doing It Wrong series. The article and the Podcast feature the research Dacher Keltner has done on wonder and awe...and how having more of it can change our lives. Marian knew this was right up my alley!

I'm not going into too much detail here...even though I want to. I recommend you read the the article if you're interested which links to the Podcast. I enjoyed both. You might too.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dacher-keltner-awe-wonder-walk_l_676f0658e4b0063e00bc064c

Dacher defines awe as an emotion you feel when you encounter vast mysteries. I think I've experience this when I say something makes me stop in my tracks or make me pause. I hadn't thought about these as moments of awe....but now I get it. 

He goes on to describes a study he did with 75 year olds and the positive effect that experiencing awe had on their health. Some of the participants in the study were told to go on what he called a awe walks....paying attention to things with childlike wonder. They were to pause and notice things...both big and small and take in the vast mysteries that were all around them. 

That's what I've been saying for years...in my own way.

There was a notable positive effect on people who took the awe walks. 

I took an awe walk today in the woods. It was cold...but I bundled up and took my time and had an attitude of childlike wonder. The most memorable moment was when I came across this fallen tree. Paul and I sit on the patio...or on the couch in the winter and look at the trees in the woods almost every day. They're tall....but we don't have a sense for how tall they really are from our chairs.

This one on the ground seemed to go on forever...and the fact that I was able to walk from one end to the other gave me a real sense how tall this tree actually was. It gave me a feeling of awe. And if was was actually a child...I would have tried to walk the whole length balancing ON the tree.

The study showed that once people started searching for awe, the more awe they found....and this gives me a new framework to think about what I already knew. 

The more you pay attention and take the time to look closely....the more you will see I've always said. Now I know I'm encouraging you to search for awe....and I can say even it's been scientifically proven to be be good for your health!

Alyson and I took a break from our photo exchange after Margie's fall and during the holidays. There was just too much going on. 

But we've started back up again...and I just realized today that taking photos to share with her was another way that I searched for moments of awe. I've missed it....and I'm glad to have it back in my life. It's good for my health!

This is the photo montage that I sent her this evening....highlights of my awe walk in the woods.