Explore more: inspiring awe, wonder and connection

24 May 2024

We went to the mountains last weekend and it was a gift in so many ways. We were the only ones in the campsite, which was delightful to us because we simply enjoyed the quiet and the space to ourselves. (After our experience of being quite packed in to the campsite over the Easter weekend).

We did a fair bit of walking, daring one another to swim in the cooling river (some would say frigid), and just generally gazing upon the mountains. The weather was superb, and all round it left me with a sense of awe and wonder in our beautiful country and my lovely family.

 

“Awe and wonder are essential to the human experience. Wonder fuels our passion for exploration and learning, for curiosity and adventure.” Brene Brown, Atlas of the Heart. 

Awe and wonder awaken us to the more that life has to offer; beyond work and deadlines, beyond the digital world into the great unknown. To step into awe and wonder – to see something different, we need to do something different. Sometimes that means stepping beyond our comfort zone, adventuring in new spaces or in new ways. 

I was chatting to an acquaintance whose son is neurodivergent. She was telling me about some of the ways he has been stepping out and growing and exploring recently. She shared a story of a new experience they’d been through together, which she didn’t love, but he did. And although this experience may never become a love in her life, what she was delighted by was seeing her son get “stuck in”, make new social connections and enjoy himself completely. It also brought them as mom and son closer together. She lamented that she never gave him new experiences before now, seeing how well he adapted and delighted in it. I reminded her that previously she was simply keeping body and soul together, explorations are only possible when one feels safe and open to new possibilities.

Exploration as a family helps you to forge deeper relationships, make memories and engage creatively in the world around you. Challenging one another to do things you’ve never done before, or go to places you’ve never been before ignites curiosity, and opens you up to experiencing awe and wonder.

It might be as simple as sitting in your garden looking up at the night sky together to see what you can see. Going somewhere in your town or city you’ve never been to before. Eating something you’ve never eaten before. Getting out into nature is one of the fastest ways to experience awe and wonder. Maybe there are way more affordable opportunities to do so for you than you could ever imagine, wherever you live.

Explore more, and do it together.