Finding Awe Where You Are
September 1, 2025
I find myself writing this blog while in Maui. The ocean is outside the window of my hotel room. I promise I took a walk closer to the ‘real thing’ this morning. No matter the view, through a window or up close with my toes in the surf, it’s lovely to see.
I have seen a number of lovely ‘views’ in my life – experiences where I get outside myself and expand my perception – see a bigger picture – get out of my own way. Striking moments where I pinch myself. Deep interactions with others, majestic vistas. I absolutely cherish looking at the memories I made through seeing travel photo albums on my iPhone and I like checking off boxes on the “Been” App. Yet I don’t, nor do you, need to go places to experience amazing moments or to experience awe in our lives. We just gotta get out of our own way.
A friend sent me an article, The Awe-Seeker’s Guide To Travel and in the article Dacher Keltner, psychologist from Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and author of Awe, mentions that one way to experience awe is to look for moral beauty in your life. Simple everyday acts, witnessing a kind interaction, seeing solidarity across divides. Another way he describes to experience awe is to join in on collective joy. Dance, cheer, celebrate.
When I think of the opportunities to reframe awe into those two types, one can walk into any school and experience moral beauty or celebrate in a collective on the daily. Acknowledge the student council actively creating community in the school. High five the kid who took a risk to share an answer or try something new. Cheer on the student who went to the buddy bench to meet up with someone who didn’t have someone to sit with. Go to the rally. Chaperone the dance. Have a young child just learning to read, read to you!
In my work as schools are just starting to open, I have already heard folks who have just started the year with less motivation than they’d like. They are tired already. Cynical. Uninterested. Bored before it even begins… Sigh, boo, ugh. Not fun for you. Not fun for others.
Ask yourself:
- Where can I find some awe in my daily life? What would it take to do a reframe?
- What am I taking for granted right now that might actually be extraordinary?
- Do my daily actions reflect my deepest values? If not, how might they shift?
- What do I think I already know too well? Can I let that go and look again?
- What if awe is less about what’s out there and more about how I’m paying attention?
This morning I watched a little girl walk down a circular staircase very slowly as I walked behind her. Holding hands with her mom, she was intentional, and she took on each big stair with deliberate attention. Then at the bottom she grabbed her dad’s leg, smiling and proud of herself. It was one of many staircases I had gone down in my life. One of many on the way to another buffet breakfast at another hotel. But for her the world was just starting. She’s with her family and the beach is coming soon! How exciting can life get?! I celebrated her and I celebrate you. Here’s to awe.
Questions, comments, or suggestions? Feel free to email me at jennifer@jenniferabrams.com.
Cool Resources
My Favorite Failure: How Setbacks Can Lead to Learning and Growth by Ronald Beghetto and Laura McBain – “The stories in the book are stitched together like a quilt giving you an overview of the mosaic of failure but also shining a light on the components of failure. The stories provide an insight into how you can create the conditions where you’re going to take risks together and then experience failure together. The narratives are from people who examined their favorite failures, pulled the stories apart and provided us with an opportunity to understand how failure is not just one moment or one set of emotions. These stories provide us with a glimpse into how we can approach teaching, learning and setbacks with more humility and more humanity.”
Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation by Ryan Gottfredson – “Many people chase improvement but remain stuck, frustrated by progress that feels incremental at best. That’s because most self-improvement strategies focus on one’s Doing Side—their level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. While valuable, this approach only scratches the surface of what’s possible. In Becoming Better, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author Ryan Gottfredson, PhD, teaches you that transformational growth requires a shift to a deeper dimension known as your Being Side—the quality of your mindsets, emotional depth, and regulatory abilities.”
Inner Growth as a Team Sport by Maria Svensson Wiklander – “What happens when a workplace becomes a space for inner growth? At Icebug, a Swedish company with big ambitions, employees embarked on a shared two year journey of inner development. Through stories, cases and reflections, this book explores how sharing one’s challenges, being curious with an open and learning mindset transformed not only their work but also their relationships and sense of purpose. It’s not a step-by-step manual or a promise of quick fixes – it’s an honest description of the process, challenges and different points of view, and about what happens when people come together to grow.”
