AWESOME
The psychologist Dacher Keltner, in his book “Awe. The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder” says this:
“In teaching happiness for more than twenty years, I have seen how much health and well-being we gain by being amazed at things outside ourselves. By finding awe”.
For a simple definition of “awe”, try thinking about things that make you go “Wow!”
“Very nice” you might be thinking, “but Martin normally writes stuff about workplaces and organisations. So what’s he on about here? Where’s the connection?”
Well.
Depends where you work of course. If you work in healthcare, maybe your “Wow” moments come from stories of life and death. And of kindness and care.
Myself, I can still get a real “Wow!” from the elegant design of a large chemical plant.
From which the message might be, just look for it wherever you are.
But in our everyday interactions at work? We know that music can make us gasp. So can the natural world. But just people doing things together? Really?
It turns out that the most common source of awe (globally) is what Keltner calls “Moral Beauty”. Courage, kindness, individuals overcoming personal challenges. In my work I am privileged to see that all the time. I think you see it too.
Then there’s the joy of being part of a Team. That sense of being part of delivering something none of us could have done alone. Everything from a global vaccine roll-out, to being part of a great school, to serving meals.
Or how about a category Keltner calls “Epiphanies”? Those “Aha!” moments when you (metaphorically?) slap your forehead, something makes sense for the first time, and you suddenly know exactly what you need to do next.
So back to the question. Why is this important?
Because, says Keltner, in noticing these things, we make our lives better. We gain health and wellbeing. But only if we stop for long enough to notice.
After a tough working day, my wife Liz would often ask me to “Name three positive things about today”. There were days when it was tough, but it made me stop. It made me notice. These days I would call it mindfulness.
That much talked-of work-life balance would seem to imply that “life” happens somewhere other than “work”. Not so, it turns out, if we stop to notice.
May you pause for long enough to find something awesome in your work today. And then do it again tomorrow.
FANCY A SLIGHTLY LONGER READ?
Maybe try one or more of the books
