The Wonder of it All

This Just For You segment is brought to you in part by my journey down a rabbit hole into the science of awe and wonder. The journey was prompted by a conversation between Dacher Keltner and host Lee C. Camp on an episode of the No Small Endeavor podcast called A Toolkit for Mental Wellbeing. Keltner is an author of numerous books, a professor of psychology at the University of California Berkeley, and the faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.

As I thought about my own journey into well-being and what got me here, (not that I’ve arrived, we are ever learning and growing), I realized a lot of what was mentioned in the toolkit are habits I’ve practiced for a while or picked up more recently. In other words, my experience corroborates the research. Because I know these work and so you won’t have to go down a rabbit hole, I’m sharing a few of the tools I use.

Awe is Good for Us

What caught my attention was Keltner’s research findings on the goodness of awe. He defines awe as the feeling we have when we encounter vast, mysterious things. He then lists the benefits of feeling the emotion of awe. Even “brief doses of awe help your heart, your immune system, your stress, you become a sharper reasoner, and experiences of awe help you with your relationships.”

I was fascinated! The rabbit hole led me to a white paper prepared for the John Temple Foundation titled The Science of Awe. The paper details the definitions of awe and wonder, the similarities and differences, how the research was done, what things elicit awe, and the physiological, psychological, and spiritual effects of it.

It was all good. Experiencing awe has positive effects on our bodies, relationships, and how we think of ourselves, others, and the world. Studies suggest awe increases a sense of well-being and life satisfaction, decreases materialism, and makes us more humble. “Humility, central to having a realistic and secure sense of the self alongside an appreciation of the value and contributions of others, represents a vital virtue at the foundation of morality and [is a] key to living in social groups,” write researcher Jennifer Stellar and her colleagues. “Awe, which arises as one confronts the vastness and complexity of the world, helps individuals gain perspective on their importance and place within it.”

The Wonders of Life

Keltner lets us in on the kinds of things that cause us to respond with awe, such as nature, music, and the moral beauty of people. These awe elicitors are a few of what Keltner calls the eight wonders of life. This partly explains my love of the outdoors and biographies. Every time I go outside or read someone’s story of overcoming obstacles, challenging an oppressive system, or helping the least of these, I’m opening myself up to experience awe. Certain music does this for me as well.

Most of the tools I’ve used in an effort to keep myself mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy serve multiple purposes. For example, my awe inducing hikes in the forest move my body and reduce stress. Journaling helps me process my thoughts and feelings, remember how far I’ve come, and cultivates gratitude. My commitment to loving relationships fosters continued growth toward wholeness, curiosity, and helps ward off loneliness and isolation. I believe all of these things are essential elements of soul care.

Soul Care

All of this points to what I believe: our mental well-being is inseparable from soul care. These tools are ways to care for our souls and are formational like any other kind of spiritual practice. When we intentionally engage in practices which increase mindfulness and peace, reconnect us with purpose, cultivate humility and wonder, generate gratitude, and connect us more deeply with others and our Creator, we are caring for our souls and our mental well-being.

My soul care includes:

• Silence and solitude

• Outdoor activities – mostly walking or hiking the trails

• Journaling my prayers

• Time with friends

• Meeting monthly with my spiritual director

• Practicing self-compassion (this is a recent addition)

Soul care is essential to our spirituality and well-being and while some are proven to be beneficial to everyone, some will be unique to you. The key is to find the tools and practices that increase your awareness of God and His work in, through, and around you – those that help you practice being with Him and letting Him love you.

Resources Just for You

Now for the good stuff. My hope is that the resources I share here will prompt your own journey to discover the tools and practices that help you maintain your mental and spiritual well-being or begin to get you there.

For your listening: you can listen here on the podcast website No Small Endeavor: A Toolkit for Mental Wellbeing or go to your favorite podcast listening app.

For your reading: Rebecoming: Come Out of Hiding to Live Your God-Given Essential Self. You can buy it here or other places books are sold. Dr. Merry C. Lin, PhD says this about self-compassion: “Self-compassion involves an acceptance of our humanity and brokenness rather than judgment. It means being kind to ourself, much like we would be to a hurting friend…Contrary to what some may think, self-compassion does not mean hiding from the truth of our limitations and weaknesses. Rather it allows us to face our need for growth with a sense of hope and helps us foster more realistic self-appraisal.” Dr. Lin pulls from the work of Dr. Kristen Neff, a pioneer in the field of self-compassion. For more from Dr. Neff and her thoughts on self-compassion versus self-esteem, she is featured on the podcast episode above.

For activities to get outside: Wild Alabama exists to inspire people to enjoy, value and protect the wild places of Alabama. This organization educates, advocates, and provides a variety of opportunities to get outside. Local hikes, volunteer trail maintenance, skills training, and nature therapy are just a few ways they get you outside and present you with plenty of opportunities to experience movement, awe, and gratitude.

For your soul: Check in. I’ve followed the work of Soul Care for years because they’re doing the good and beautiful work of helping us care for our souls. They recently invited us to take a Soul Health assessment. I’m extending the invitation to you. Co-founder Mindy Caliguire says, “When we don’t stop to check in with our souls, we risk drifting far from the life we’re actually meant to live.”

Here’s the link to the assessment: Soul Health Assessment

I’d love to hear from you with your questions, comments, and the practices you engage in for spiritual and mental well-being. If you want to find out more about spiritual direction, visit Spiritual Direction with Marie and reach out.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash