The world is full of magic things

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”

Though there is not a real consensus on exactly who said this, (I kind of love that about great ideas, no one person can claim them) the truth of the words ring true.

Often we miss the magic because we are too busy to slow down and see it happening in our everyday lives. News and current events can foster fear and the urge to divide and protect. The old “wiring” that helped us survive a wild animal attack does not always serve us in our current version of society. We can misjudge situations, react impulsively, and be easy to manipulate when we are afraid.

We all know that fear is not a place of much magic or connection.

Actively fostering awe is a great way to empower yourself, and to create a habit of healthy perspective that generates positive change. Don’t you feel more centered, empowered, and altruistic after those moments of connection?

We crave the moments that break our feeling of separateness and generate a wave of connection and power.

It is a visceral experience, and we thrive when we can access it regularly.

On pilgrimage, no matter where it happens, one of our goals is to experience something greater than our finite existence. To step out of the day to day, in order to feel something new which delights and inspires.

One of my hopes for this Virtual Pilgrimage is for each of us to discover ways to bring this experience of awe and wonder into our everyday lives.

Articles, like this one, show the importance of awe, not only to improve physical health and mental well being, but also to create societal shifts which make our communities stronger and the improve the quality of life for everyone. The “better together” thing we are working on is hard-wired into us, as humans, and awe is a great activator for positive shifts.

Does looking up at a starry sky do it for you? Feeling your feet resting on cool blades of grass? Perhaps there is a song that creates that open-hearted feeling of possibility? For me most recently, seeing generations of families gathered in the plazas of villages across the north of Spain has delivered me to awe. The love shared is visible somehow.

At this very moment there is a brass band playing in the plaza around the corner. With my windows open it sounds as if the whole town is singing along… sound and spirits rising above rooftops… tingly, heart opening awe at the energy created and the joy shared.

The thing is, once you know how to access it, you realize the world is ripe with awe and wonder. A baby’s giggle, a flower in bloom, the way a droplet of water clings to the tip of a leaf.

So, whether or not you become a pilgrim, see if you can get curious and begin to foster wonder. It will make the experience so much more fun, and start to improve your life right now.

Let’s start sharing our moments of awe and wonder with each other.

Tell us in the comments below what brings you to awe.

Share videos in the FB group.

Share Poetry that brings awe.

Awe-filled Art and Photographs.

Music.

The options are limitless.

And if you haven’t already, and it sounds like fun, join us on our adventure!

When we share, we have an exponentially greater chance to create awe, for ourselves and each other. Let’s show this sometimes topsy-turvy society how to be better together!