As the new year kicks off, one of things I’m looking forward to in 2023 is experiencing as much awe is possible. This may sound like a weird thing to wish for, so let me explain.
My excitement about “awe” stems from a recent week I spent at the Modern Elder Academy, a retreat center built for exploring the possibilities and promise of midlife. At MEA, being a “modern elder” is not about age. It’s about being a carrier of wisdom earned through years of working and living your life. It sees carrying our wisdom forward as the foundation for creating, growing and sharing as we experience new things and engage with others.
The Modern Elder Academy is simply an incredible place – started by hospitality legend Chip Conley – and I’d be happy to tell you more about it if interested.
A core focus of my week at MEA was the cultivation of awe in our lives. This exploration was guided by Dacher Keltner, a Berkeley psychology professor focused on well-being. Keltner has been studying awe for years and defines it as the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world. He released a fantastic book last week called AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder, and How It Can Change Your Life.
In short, Keltner describes the eight universal pathways for experiencing awe; he explains the physiological and psychological benefits of experiencing awe; and he proposes ways to find, cultivate and be with awe to elevate your life. I encourage you to check out recent coverage of his book and teachings:
A NYTimes article describing the awe research and resulting health benefits
A KQED hour-long interview with Dacher. Wonderful
A Harvard Business Review article summarizing Keltner’s research on everyday awe
Make your 2023 a year where you get into big nature, dance with an ecstatic crowd, sway in unison at a concert, lose yourself in a piece of art, explore human ingenuity, and stay awake to the simple wonder of being alive. In other words, make it a year of awe.