Life can be challenging at times. The competing demands that you experience from your work, family, caring for your own well-being, and even friends can create a sense of overwhelm and even fear at getting out of bed in the morning. This diminishes our joy in truly experiencing a fulfilling and rewarding life.

If you’re dreading getting up in the morning, then take a moment to shift your perspective.
Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. Think of a time when you weren’t feeling overwhelmed, but were experiencing a sense of awe and wonder in life.
Have you ever stood on top of a mountain and gazed out in the distance, filled with amazement at the vast expansiveness before you?
Or have you ever held the hand of an elderly person with a short time left to live and been moved by the beauty and strength of the human being?

Or maybe held a newborn baby and delighted at their tiny fingers and toes?
If so, then you’ve been filled with awe or wonder before.
When we’re filled with awe, we experience an overwhelming feeling of admiration, respect, and amazement that arises when we’re faced with something wonderful and maybe even a little frightening.
And when we experience wonder, we’re reminded of being a young child. As the great naturalist, Rachel Carson, wrote, “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.” When we can tap into that child-like experience once again, we delight in the feeling of surprise and joy at something beautiful or unexpected.

When we’re filled with a sense of awe or wonder in the world, we often feel a connection to something that’s greater than ourselves. We feel a part of the greater universe and held within it. We move out of our sense of overwhelm into one of belonging, beauty, and joy at being alive.
Next time, you’re feeling overwhelmed in life, take a moment to shift your perspective. Where in your life can you experience a sense of awe and wonder at being alive as a human being on earth?