Discover Mega-Doses Of Awe Hidden In Tiny Beautiful Things

Decide to slow down, see depth, and connect the dots

Tiny Beautiful Things

Size and beauty are relational perceptions. We must each decide for ourselves what these things are and be mindful so we don’t miss them.

In the rough, chaotic waters that are life, tiny beautiful things may seem few and far between. They are actually surrounding us in immeasurable abundance. Experiencing these tiny beautiful things can serve us mega-doses of awe, positively impacting us as individuals and as a community in many ways.

In moments among my various agonies, I noticed the beauty that surrounded me, the wonder of things both small and large: the color of a desert flower that brushed against me on the trail or the grand sweep of the sky as the sun faded over the mountains. — Cheryl Strayed

Many dots connect when we slow down enough to notice the tiny beautiful things around us. We see the depth of interdependence in the universe. We wonder. Wonder can lead to awe — a free dose of the best medicine for our ailments and suffering.

Stop momentarily and notice the tiny beautiful clouds in the photo below.

Are the clouds really tiny? In relation to what? In terms of size or impact? What conditions formed those clouds? What conditions do those clouds contribute to? Did other people enjoy a moment observing and wondering about those clouds?

Let wonder lead to awe.

The bird below is tiny. The snowflakes are tinier. Both are beautiful. This kind of beauty is often missed, only appreciated with intention.

Sometimes, there are so many tiny beautiful things we lose focus. Our wonders float around like seeds in the wind.

Beyond beauty is a profound and powerful purpose.

Each tiny granule keeps the world going.

A splash of color helps us compare.

And count the millions of species in the taxonomic hierarchy.

The properties of water and the cycle of life are all for wonder.

Tiny, beautiful things, from whose perspective?

There’s always a sunrise and always a sunset and it’s up to you to choose to be there for it,’ said my mother. ‘Put yourself in the way of beauty.” — Cheryl Strayed

Opportunities to find awe are abundant. Decide to slow down. Let your wonder wander. See depth. Connect the dots. Not one single thing in the universe exists alone.

With the state of society today, not one person in the universe lives without some level of grief. Personal grief, secondary grief for others, or grief for the planet we are losing to our own destructive vices.

We live in a world that needs more awe. Find yours. Take in a mega-dose. Share it. Connect for the greater good.

The deepest things I learned were the simplest things. The wild offers us the opportunity to physically enact what we need to do spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. Not just to survive but to thrive. We are at the mercy of something that is far greater than us. We think we can control our lives and our environments, that we have so much more power than we actually have. The wild teachers us to surrender. It also teaches us to remember that we are always in beauty. There is always beauty around us, and we can find it if we look. In the wild, we don’t have to look very hard. It is right there. — Cheryl Strayed

The quotes from Cheryl Strayed were on my mind as I just qued up two of her audiobooks: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail and Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar. I often read quotes as a part of my book selection process. I am interested to see how the power of awe is at work in both of these books, explicitly and implicitly, as a means to deal with struggle, loss, and grief, or how it could have been when it might not have been. (Amazon Affiliate)

Thanks for reading. I hope everyone finds everyday opportunities to refuel by finding awe!

Sharing our experiences of feeling awe helps us etch those feelings in our memories. Our sharing can also evoke feelings of awe in others. If you want to share your awe experiences, join For Awe here!

If you want more ideas about how to add awe practices to your life, or how to share your awe experiences, check out our prompts and challenges:

Want to become a Medium Member:

Sign up for the Medium membership to receive unlimited access to my stories and the stories of many other great writers. (I will receive a small commission if you use this link.)

About My Writing Journey — For Awe — Awe Store — Vantage Points for Awe