Have you ever been awed by something? 

The beauty of a mountain, a lighthouse at sunset, or the ocean furiously churned by an approaching storm.  What makes you awestruck? What gives you a sense of wonder?

According to the dictionary, awe is “an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder inspired by authority or the sacred or sublime.”

Here is the process for taking an “Awe Walk.”

Head outside and walk for 15 minutes wherever you can.  Maybe there is a park in your neighborhood or walk on a path near a body of water.  Take a selfie at the beginning and end of your walk to measure your emotions.

Start your walk by being still and breathing deeply for a minute or two.

Instead of thinking about your to-do list for the day, focus on what you see all around you. By focusing on the outward, instead of the inward, you might see new things that leave you in Awe.

In less than a week, I am making a big move, so my mind is definitely filled with a giant to-do list.

But, I do try each week to take an “Awe Walk” in some of my favorite parks in Rhode Island that I have enjoyed for the past 6 years.

I do not have my ear buds in listening to music or a favorite weekly podcast, I just walk and focus on the trees or that I can now see the emerging spring in nature after a long and snowy winter.

And as it is supposed to be a spectacular Friday, I will head to my favorite spot, Beavertail State Park in Jamestown, RI. The lighthouse and the beautiful Narragansett Bay will always be a place that leaves me with a sense of wonder and awe. Go out an find your AWE.

Marcie Doll