HOW TO CULTIVATE AWE & WONDER
August 30, 2025
In April 2024, I witnessed my first-ever solar eclipse, and it was nothing short of extraordinary. The anticipation was electric, but nothing prepared me for the sheer awe of the moment. As the moon slipped across the sun, I felt goosebumps rise, a wave of wonder wash over me, and a deep reverence for the vast, breathtaking universe we live in.
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Reflections & Wisdom
Awe changes us. Once you’ve felt it, you find yourself seeking it again and again, in small moments and grand ones. Science shows that awe doesn’t just feel good; it’s profoundly good for us. It reduces stress and inflammation, supports heart health, increases empathy and generosity, expands our thinking, softens our ego, boosts mindfulness, uplifts mood, and strengthens resilience, purpose, and life satisfaction.
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But awe is everywhere, not just in cosmic events. In his book Awe, Dacher Keltner describes eight “Wonders of Life” that spark this feeling:
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Moral Beauty: Everyday acts of courage, kindness, and solidarity.
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Collective Effervescence: Shared joy, like singing in unison at a concert.
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Nature: Wild, serene, and everything in between.
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Music: Sounds that move us.
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Visual Art: Images that stop us in our tracks.
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Spirituality: Moments of connection beyond ourselves.
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Mortality: The awe in birth, loss, and life’s impermanence.
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Epiphanies: Big ideas and sudden insights.
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So, start exploring awe every day, and see how it will transform your life. You can also listen to the podcast interview with the author of Wonder, Monica Parker.​​​
One Action Toward More Joy​
Joy isn’t just about fun and laughter—it’s also about pausing to marvel at the awe and mystery of life. Look up at the night sky, and you’ll see more than stars; you’re seeing magic. Astronomers have long said that humans are literally made of stardust—and science backs it up. A study of more than 150,000 stars at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico confirmed this cosmic truth.
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Carl Sagan captured it beautifully: “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of stardust.” In fact, about 97% of the elements in your body came from stars that lived and died billions of years ago.
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Your invitation:
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On one of the next clear evenings, step outside, tilt your head back, and take in the night sky. Let it sink in that you’re looking at your cosmic family tree, each star a reminder of the vastness, mystery, and wonder that’s woven into who you are.
Joyful brain delight​
Astronomers have painted the cosmos in breathtaking detail. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, they captured the Sculptor Galaxy like never before—a luminous swirl of stars, gas, and dust revealed in thousands of colors. Each pixel holds a story: the quiet birth of stars, the brilliance of their lives, the beauty of their endings.
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Though it rests 11 million light-years away, Sculptor is a near neighbor by cosmic standards, a reminder that even across unimaginable distances, the universe is alive with motion and light, and we are part of its grand design.
"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”
Albert Einstein