I recently had reason to have an ultrasound of my heart - it’s all good! turns out my heart is working just as it should albeit a bit slower than others.
I have to tell you it was actually an amazing experience - watching and listening to my own heart in real time … mesmerizing and at times it made me catch my breath! I am truly grateful that it has kept working so well for all these decades!!!!
Lesson 1 - awe is within you and with you every day
The second lesson came in the flash of a screen saver on the TV … a photo of two little birds with the most wonderful colouring! Rainbow Bee-eaters I think and quite breath taking! Nature can deliver awe in all shapes and sizes!
Then I came across an article by neuroscientist/journalist Richard Sima published in the Washington Post with the title “Why it is awesome that your brain can experience awe”
He describes awe as “a response to encountering something more vast, complex or mind-blowing than we had conceived of either physically or conceptually. The experience also induces a change in how we see the world, producing ‘little earthquakes in the mind’. …. Over the course of our lives our brain learns to encode what ‘normal’ is and predict what we think should happen next, based on our internal understanding of the world. That prediction of what happens next guides our behavior. It is crucial for being able to function in this incredibly complicated world. …. But it does narrow our perspective, it narrows our vision”
The article goes on to say that …
“Emerging research shows that experiencing awe may make us more curious, creative and compassionate people. …. By transforming our sense of self and meaning, and enhancing our relationship with others and the wider world, awe has the power to improve our mental and physical health.
So the next question is how to experience more awe!
Richard Sima suggests :-
viewing something giant ie a mountain range or ocean
discovering something tiny such as the worlds seen through a microscope
contemplating a piece of music or discovering a piece of art
taking ‘awe’ walks through your neighbourhood or nature …
So I’ve been thinking about awe and in particular the Rainbow Bee Eaters and have been playing with a new palette … just to see if I can capture a little of their magic!
So the next question is how to experience more awe!
Richard Sima suggests :-
viewing something giant ie a mountain range or ocean
discovering something tiny such as the worlds seen through a microscope
contemplating a piece of music or discovering a piece of art
taking ‘awe’ walks through your neighbourhood or nature …
So I’ve been thinking about awe and in particular the Rainbow Bee Eaters and have been playing with a new palette … just to see if I can capture a little of their magic!
and I am on the trail of experience more awe in my life! How about you?
Thank you for reading, I appreciate your time and interest in my art …. CC Always