The Library Vault

Have you noticed lately that people aren’t okay? Maybe you’re raising your hand and saying, “Me! That’s me! I’m most definitely not okay.” I hear you. In most places there’s a palpable undercurrent of unrest, irritability, depression, anxiety, mistrust, divisiveness, and grief, among many other equally unsettling things. The reasons for our current state of being are multifaceted and finding our way out of this place will likely be an uncomfortable process for most of us. There are times when I feel utterly hopeless, fearing that as a species we’ve strayed too far from our intended path. In these moments I worry that it’s simply too late, perhaps we’ve lost the threads that connect us to each other, our planet, and life as a whole. 

I lay awake at night agonizing about our polluted oceans. My heart breaks every time I see an animal that has lost its natural habitat. I’m sickened by the thought of the richest among us greedily exploiting resources, while wars rage on our soil. I want to scream when I hear hate and intolerance spreading like poison. How have we forgotten so completely? How can we look at each other without also seeing ourselves? How have we let our own self-interest and personal agendas sever the bond between ourselves and the natural world? When I find myself in this place, I allow the feelings to wash over me and then I take a deep breath and dig a little deeper. The truth is that I feel we’re on a precipice, one more step in the wrong direction could send us plummeting to our demise. But what if we could step away from the ledge, truly look at the world around us, and then maybe, just maybe, do better?

My suspicion is that we can’t think or debate our way out of this moment, instead we need to feel it, really feel it, all the way to the depths of our being. We need to bypass our egos and everything we think we know in order to heal what has been broken. We must reclaim the threads that once connected us to the earth, while also seeing that we are more alike than we are different. To do this will require a hefty dose of humility and grace, but it will also require a rediscovery of awe and wonder in our lives. In our hurried, “productive” modern world, many of us can’t even remember the last time we felt moved by something so expansive that it took our breath away. In fact, we’ve strayed dangerously far from anything even resembling wonder; swapping the sacred for a screen… scrolling, scrolling, scrolling and inevitably failing to find the slightest hint of meaning. Is it really a surprise that we’re struggling? 

Greater Good Magazine defines awe as, “the feeling we get in the presence of something vast that challenges our understanding of the world, like looking up at millions of stars in the night sky or marveling at the birth of a child.” I appreciate this definition because it acknowledges an experience of challenging our understanding of the world. We can only learn and grow when we genuinely believe that we don’t already know it all. There’s something extremely powerful about staring up at a brilliant full moon and realizing how small you really are. Or watching a sunset so utterly breath-taking that it makes you question how much you actually understand about the universe. These moments are often fleeting, but they are desperately important. When we limit our experience to what fits in our pocket, we forget that we are only an infinitesimal part of a much greater whole. 

Awe connects us in a way that other things fail to do, because we all have the capacity to experience awe. Wonder is not reserved for the privileged; it doesn’t require an expensive flight to an exclusive destination. We can experience awe in our own backyards, wandering in the woods, on a city street, in the pages of a borrowed book, or in the eyes of any child. We can even find wonder in our darkest moments, times of pain, loss, sickness, death… for some, it’s only when the light begins to fade that they are finally able to see. In other words, awe is a gift freely given, regardless of how you’re journeying through this life. This is a gift that should be cherished and embraced everyday, even (or especially) on the days when it feels easier just to stare at your phone. 

So how do we find this? How do we muster up the energy to care? How do we believe that awe still exists when so much in our world indicates otherwise? For me, it almost always starts with a book. When I’m confused or searching, books are often the most accessible way for me to make sense of what I’m feeling. Sometimes these books offer answers, but more often than not, they help me clarify the questions I need to ask myself. They offer perspective, hope, strength, insight, or maybe a kick in the pants. Books broaden my mind and open my heart so that I’m fortified enough to courageously turn inward. And inward is always where the real work happens. 

If these words resonate with you, I offer an invitation to explore some books in our collection that dive into the nature of awe. I hope that you’ll find one or several that speak to you… some lean toward the scientific, others the spiritual. Some authors speak in short essays and memoir, while others share practical steps to assist you on your journey. You’ll find a book that gets in your head and others that will pierce straight to your heart. If something doesn’t speak to you, give yourself permission to put it down. Find the words that you need to read now and let the others go. And after you’ve gleaned some insight, please go out in the world and find your awe. Only from a place of wonder and presence can we all begin to heal. 

Titles to Inspire an Awe-filled Journey:

• Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner
• The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
• Awestruck: How Embracing Wonder Can Make You Happier, Healthier, by and More Connected by Jonah Paquette, PSYD
• The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of Everyday by Sharon Blackie
• Tracking Wonder: Reclaiming a Life of Meaning and Possibility in a World of Productivity by Jeffrey Davis
• Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark by Julia Baird
• The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by Mike Rucker

Works referenced:

“What is Awe?,” Greater Good Magazine: Science-based Insights for a Meaningful Life. The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. 2023. Accessed on October 10, 2023.

-Cate T.