Awe

This past weekend, my wife and I took our children to Washington, D.C.? The purpose of this quick trip was to help expose them to a wider and more expansive world that existed beyond their Florida existence and that of their electronic devices. We returned late Sunday with sore legs (26 miles walking in 2 days will do that), but a full heart.? It was exciting, and perhaps even a bit scary for the kids.? But it was also exciting to see the “awe” on their faces when they rode the Metro for the first time, when they saw and contemplated the importance of the monuments on the National Mall, or when they marveled at the scope and grandeur of the rotunda in the Capitol building.? Awe is a feeling that we experience when confronted with something so sublime, so complex, so enthralling, that it defies human comprehension.? Said another way, “Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world” (Reference 1, Reference 2).? It is a complex emotion that is most often associated with rare events, impressive people, works of art, technology, or natural phenomena (like the eclipse this week).? But awe doesn’t have to be transcendent or limited to rare events.? It can be found in our everyday lives, but it does require us to pay attention to see it clearly.

I just finished reading Jonathan Haidt’s New York Times Bestselling book entitled, The Anxious Generation (check it out, HERE).? This is a great read for any parent of young children, tween, teenager, or young adult; however, that’s not why I bring it up.? This engaging book goes into great lengths about the research which now clearly demonstrates how having a, “portal in your pocket” (aka a smartphone), can negatively impact the attention, motivation, productivity, mental health, and wellbeing of a child or adolescent.? Interestingly, as I was reading this book, I also reflected on the negative impact that our smartphones have on all of us, even as adults.? As I was walking around D.C. this past weekend, I saw so many distracted people looking at their phones.? Surrounded by majestic architecture, the unmatched natural beauty of the cherry blossom trees, and inspirational monuments, so many people seemed totally indifferent.? If I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have missed the incredibly rare albino squirrel under a tree outside of the National Gallery of Art (1 albino squirrel for every 100,000 regular squirrels).? As human beings, we all seem so distracted these days.? I kept thinking, if only we could all just look up, we would have more awe in our live.?

According to one report I read, this week during the eclipse, scientists noted that internet traffic plunged by as much as 50 percent in cities that were in the path of the totality.? This highlights that it is possible for us to be less distracted, and perhaps awe can be part of the remedy.? Awe surrounds us in the work we do in healthcare leadership.? We can marvel at the technology we have at our fingertips to aid us in our daily tasks.? We can be inspired by the dedication and commitment of our physicians, providers, and team members as they care for patients.? We can celebrate our patients as they courageously battle complex and challenging diseases.? We can value the bonds of friendship and comradery we have with our fellow team members, and celebrate milestones anniversaries in their careers.? These are just a few examples of everyday awe.? As we head into the weekend, let’s all commit to seeking out and recognizing a little bit of awe in our lives.? It may be as simple as paying attention to what is already all around us.