10.24.22 // "Awe"

"Awe."
.
To feel reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
.
As the days and years pass us by, the feeling of "awe" becomes more elusive.
.
No longer are we toddling children or inquisitive youths, where the world is unknown and awe is everywhere.
.
We grow up and we grow comfortable.
.
No longer needing to be curious, no longer needing to keep our minds and hearts open because we "understand" enough to get us through.
.
But what a limited life to lead when you are doing just enough to get by.
.
Our minds grow smaller, our hearts close to others, our capacity for expansion contracting, in a life that could be boundless.
.
What if we choose to seek "awe" instead...
.
To relentlessly pursue awe as one remedy to the potential diminishing of our capacity. A way to slowly remove the boundaries of expectations, and becomes as endless as a dark night sky on a chilly fall evening.
.
To lean into our youth and childlike histories instead of leaning away. To find passion in being a student of life again, to find lust in the unknown because she is seducing if you let her be.
.
And I'm convinced being in "awe" is one of the rawest human experiences, it robs you of words, but fills you with wonder and feeling, it's indescribable and yet awe feels tangible, like you could pluck it from your heart and hold it in a jar.
.
I'm also convinced "awe" can be found anywhere, it doesn't need to be traveling to another country or immersing yourself in a new culture, it can be taking a n unfamiliar route home, trying a different dish at a local restaurant, entertaining and engaging in conversation with a stranger instead of looking at your phone while you wait in line or walk down the street...
.
Because I think the truth is, awe is all around you if you simply choose to see it.