AWE

This image reminds me of my time along the coast. The other day, I was walking and watched a seagull flying high above me, so I began to lift my arms and fly with him. I watched his every move and copied his pattern. It was as if I was flying down the beach. I began to feel a rhythm in my body as I moved. I began to slow, to breathe deeply and to take in every breath and movement with intention. I needed it. It was like walking, doing yoga, meditating and finding a focus, all at once. I was in Awe. I thought to myself…AWE…Always Wander Every day. My mind began to play with the word over and over…Always Wonder…Amazed…Enthusiasm. So, AWE is now a type of mantra.

I walked for awhile and on my way back down the beach I ran into some neighbors. One of them said, “I thought that was you. Were you doing yoga or something while you were walking? Whatever you were doing, you seemed happy. I knew it had to be you.”

I smiled and responded, “I was flying down the beach, breathing in the fresh air…kind of like yoga,” I smiled.

I walked away happy to feel like I was giving off a happy vibe. For me, it was a moment and an experience that transported me to AWE.

What can you do to find a little AWE in your every day??

What do you think of when you think of moments that bring about AWE?

For me, it is so many little things. So many gifts that nature bestows upon us. I don’t think anyone could visit the Redwoods and not be humbled and in awe of the giants, the quiet, the almost reverence that is felt there. Every day I stand and look out onto the vast ocean I am in constant awe of how it changes every day. Don’t get me started on sunsets, full moons, tiny rose bud flowers, dew drops on green grasses, the way water mirrors and reflects surrounding beauty, moss, forest paths, clouds, rainbows, patterns and symmetry in nature….so many little things. Nature brings about so much AWE in everything.

No wonder it is mostly memories and experiences in nature that bring people to AWE inspiring moments. If you ask anyone about AWE, guaranteed there is some type of natural place, setting, backdrop of the details that made a walk special, a place memorable, an internal awareness, etc. that holds the gift of AWE within.

What Science says about AWE: According to Psychology Today, Psychologists are busy at work trying to understand more about awe, why it exists and how experiencing awe changes us. So far, they’ve found that after experiencing awe, people feel that they have more time and are part of something bigger. They also are more generous to other people and more satisfied with their lives. And there may even be a link between awe and health—recent research shows that people who tend to feel a lot of awe have fewer proinflammatory cytokines.

Some ideas to instill a little more AWE into your life: go with my quote above. I think it will help you remember daily to Always Wonder and Always Wander…as well as be Amazed with Enthusiasm. This little trick may help you take steps every day to wander.

WANDER: Find new places where you live. Seeking out new things to delight your senses will fill you with more AWE. Think about it. When you just do the same things—nothing excites you, its routine, but if you shake up your norm and find a new hike, walk through a creative store, wander down a new street or a place you have never been–your senses light up and are fired up with all the new colors, new sounds, new sights, etc. It is a new delight. It’s a surprise.

What do you think of when you think of WANDER? I think of–wandering around with no expectation, just a curiosity, a need for a good meander.

WONDER: The sense of wonder speaks of our hunger to be moved, to be engaged and impassioned with the world and take pleasure in it, attuned to it and fascinated by it. Grateful for it.-Gregg Levoy, Psychology Today

Being in a whole new state brings curiosity and wonder every day. Just being near the ocean has brought about daily wonders—what are the types of sea life we find along the shore, the tiny flocks of birds running in and out of the waves, why are these shells or rocks here today…there is so much to learn in every environment, but everything changes when you step out of your norm. There is a sense of play, the variety of experiences that show up, the new people and places, the vast amounts of newness and wonder have a tendency to excite at every level.

There are a variety of ways to bring about a sense of wonder: Maybe you learn a new word of the day (love this) & try to use it in various sentences or listen to a new music station to find some fresh songs to play. Maybe you find new cultural ways to expand your universe—Visit places you’ve wondered about–is there a special exhibit on how chocolate is made at your local museum or is there a play you are curious about attending. Maybe you need to watch an inspiring documentary on a desired subject (My daughter is studying to become a Marine Biologist & had our family watch, “My Octopus Teacher” it was incredible & thought inspiring on many levels–not your normal movie night but it was full of wonder and interest–highly recommend). Maybe you need to enjoy a concert that interests you–(We just watched the Coldplay concert on Netflix & it was fun to see the story and journey of this incredible band). Maybe watch inspiring people give Ted talks on subjects that seem to teem with your personal interests or just stop where you are and seek to find something that stirs some type of AWE within you.

Wonder plays at every turn. Wonder can be found in the beauty of nature or in the simplest of acts when you slow down and notice the details around you. It can delight the senses and it can also deepen your feelings of what you need within your life.

AMAZED: My little family walked the beach earlier today and I had them stop, drop and begin to sift through the tiny grains of sand to see what they could discover. We were in awe of the size and colors of the various minerals, the specks of light, the huge amounts of vast debris that landed at our feet after being moved and tumbled from the ocean floor.

Nature has this incredible way of reminding us how truly small we are. The sands that we walk upon on a beach change every day, the water ebbs and flows, everything cycles, everything moves with an incredible, awe-inspiring beauty that only nature can deliver.

ENTHUSIASM: Comes from the Greek word “Entheos” which means, “The God Within” I LOVE THIS beautiful meaning. When you think of AWE—Enthusiasm must be included because usually things that bring AWE have some detail of God within it. Whether something brings you a sense of awe through joy, simplicity, details, quiet, new experiences, tickles the senses, is thought-provoking, or growth-inspiring–any experience that encompasses AWE—God is happy and so are you.

Think about it. Wonder, Wander, Amazed and Enthusiasm—all touch upon the incredible moments and memories that make your life memorable and worth living. When you grow, when you see and experience new things, when you step out of your comfort and move forward without fear, when you slow down and notice the details and gifts held throughout your life—AWE is the experience.

Finally, I love this quote…Wander often, Wonder always. I would just add…and be Amazed with Enthusiasm 🙂

A few of my favorites lately–besides daily walks in nature. Take these seriously. Slow down your walks on occasion and notice the tiny details. Yesterday, I was at a beautiful, ocean lookout and noticed the field covered in tiny, daisy-type flowers. I got close-up and took a few pics. I thought, “these are probably like dandelions in Utah, these poor flowers are probably not too loved.” I blew them a kiss and proclaimed my love for them. Some people will see weeds, but I see the beauty. We must stop and see the beauty, appreciate it and be in awe of it all.

A FEW ADDITIONAL IDEAS: Enjoying new things…enJOY! A few ideas to get you started.

WORD OF THE DAY to begin: Solivagant…Wandering Alone. Sign-up for word of the day emails or apps that send you a word. There is also WORDLE that I heard is a fun challenge. OR you could also do words of the day for learning a language. Your brain loves a good challenge and induces feelings of inspiration—all good things.

OLYMPIC MUSIC: I came across some beautiful, awe-inspiring music from some of the Olympic. A few favorites: “Wild Side” by Roberto Cacciapaglia and “Experience” by Angele Dubeau. Don’t be afraid to listen to new types of music and find things that inspire awe.

PLACES TO WANDER: Park, garden, or pond you have never been to…a creative store…

MAKE: I recently saw a beautiful mandala at the beach that someone had made out of layers and layers of rock. It was incredible. Make something that slows you—color a mandala, create a mandala out of nature items, draw words or circles in the sand,

Hope these ideas get you started on seeking and finding a little more AWE in your life. xoxo -H

ENTHUSIASM

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I truly have always loved the word ENTHUSIASM. When you understand the greek term, you appreciate the word even more…en theos or “God within.”   What power that word possesses. If we could all live from such a place of enthusiasm, what a world we would live in.

Yesterday, I was driving through a breakfast burrito spot and ordered a simple, breakfast burrito. I made the exchange at the drive-up window & was then greeted by such an enthusiastic encounter. The guy at the window handed me my order & enthusiastically said, “I have only made 4 of those burritos in 2 years!! Keep the orders coming! I love shaking things up and making something different!” He beamed with enthusiasm. I drove away giggling with my daughter at how sweet that interaction was, to see a man working at a fast-food restaurant so happy to make something a little different. Variety was definitely his spice of life. It lit him up!

Are we not all like that? Don’t we need to shake things up, to add some variety into our lives.  Last weekend my family rented some paddle boards, which one of them was a huge 18 ft board that could fit multiple people. My daughter does not love trying new things, especially in front of other people, like my family. I wanted my daughter to TRY & I know she has the personality that you have to keep pushing and pushing until she finally does. We were having a serious conversation & she was digging in her heals pretty serious. She was not having any of the conversation & was not about to get on a paddle board. After a serious, stern moment, she finally gave in after I promised her it would just be our little family on the large board.  I only get stern if I know she will enjoy it & the situation was getting too serious. The conversation paid off. My daughter hesitantly got on the board, tried something new and loved it. The whole day would have been a different day if she would not have got on the board and spread her little wings and tried. She was filled with enthusiasm. She paddled cousins all around the lake, she started water fights with uncles, she found a little part of herself that needed to fly and be free from the constraints of the usual, the comfortable.

When we leave the comfort zone, we tap into a deeper part of ourselves that needs to grow. When we try new things, we light up. That ‘God within’ part or enthusiasm shines through and joy springs from us. It is a good place to be.

What can you do today to shake things up, to tap into that part of you that needs to feel enthusiasm?

“An enthusiastic heart finds opportunities everywhere.”  -Paulo Coelho

Take some time to do something you truly enjoy–maybe you feel you don’t have enough time in a day. Think about all the great minds throughout history, what they accomplished, and how they had the exact number of hours and days you have. How will you make today different? Begin with 15 minutes. That is all. Do something you enjoy for 15 minutes.

Avoid being the victim–my husband’s sister has been a functioning addict for over 30 years until recently. She fell into a pit and stayed there. We just removed her from her old world & threw her into an uncomfortable situation. She hit rock bottom–she could have been the victim, but instead she got moving. She began walking 5 miles a day and seeing herself through other lenses than the victim ones he had been wearing. She is moving in a forward direction for her life. It all begins with a choice. What do you want to focus on? What statements are you saying to yourself?

What lights you up? What is something you could spend hours doing? Maybe you enjoy walking museums for creative inspiration. Maybe you could go on a hike every day. Maybe you love to read or write. Maybe playing or listening to music. Maybe learning something new…ask yourself, ‘what lights me up?’

Take care of yourself–make sure you are doing what you can to have good energy, eating good foods, getting enough sleep, exercising, drinking water, etc. If you are not taking care of your body, how can the spirit part of you be influenced & feel good?

Evaluate the energy drains of your life–are there things you do that bring you down, that make you feel low. Are there people or friends that you don’t enjoy being around, you feel zapped from spending time with them. Are there things about your job that lower your energy. Look at different aspects of your life and evaluate what lights you up, what makes you feel lower energy and try to slowly limit those things that don’t light you up. You will begin to see the high and low energy effects of everything in your life.

Look at your body language and verbal language–what are you saying? Do you carry a positive body posture or do you walk hunched over. Are you saying positive things to others & yourself or do you find yourself being more negative than positive. Do you sit tall or slouch. Walk and talk as if you are feeling full of enthusiasm & what you will be telling your mind and body is that you are truly feeling it!

Avoid the bad life stressors–my husband has recently been trying to take on a new role at work. The stress has been unbearable to watch. He comes home, his eyes are sunken in and he is exhausted, there is no possible energy of enthusiasm that can thrive on that! When you over stress, you over work, you become overwhelmed and your body is depleted. Nothing can grow or light up from the hard depths and dark energy of bad stress. This is when sleep, slowing down, and recharging is essential to begin again.

Learn something new–realistically, when you learn something new, you get lit up. Think of a time recently that you learned something new–what happened? Did you have a renewed energy? Did you want to learn more? When we challenge, we grow. When we grow, we light up.

Surround yourself with positives–listen to positive podcasts, put on music that makes you feel good, watch movies that stir your soul (feel good–not make you feel heavy), be around people who are happy & feel good, read and send positive quotes, read good books that will make you stretch and grow, do things that make you feel positive and fill your heart with enthusiasm.

 

May you light up. May you find enthusiasm. May it find you in all you do.

Peace and love to you today.  -H

Something to INSPIRE you to Play Big

BestSelf-e1377554016803This week I have been posting about Playing Big, Being Bold, so here are some fun videos to help bring those feelings to the surface. There are many ingredients that help aid us in playing a little bigger today and here they are…

Personal Motivation: great video with a great message   Believe in what you can do.

Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude: great video of kid practicing for baseball   Just remember, having an enthusiastic attitude will get you even further in anything you do. Look at every situation and find the positive.

http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/99-the-greatest

Take Action: funny video–getting stuck on escalator     We often get stuck in our mental madness, listening to our inner critics, just playing it safe for the sake of staying safe, taking the easy way. But, sometimes it is just taking a little step each day and moving forward to get going in the direction you desire. Take action—don’t get stuck!!

Practice whatever it is you enjoy doing: video of Amazing Talented People   There are amazing people doing amazing things because they take the time to practice, get a little better each day and are able to master what they focus on. You can apply this to anything: your job, your health, your attitude, your direction, your talent, your dreams.