How to Exercise Awe and Curiosity for Greater Inner Fitness Every Day

What happens if you only do one exercise, say… squats, every time you work out? Year after year, every day, never trying something new. Would you be bored? Would you be living up to your full potential? Wouldn’t you develop weaknesses in other areas? Likewise, the Inner Fitness Challenge tool #4 – How to Exercise Awe and Curiosity is essential to help you to keep your motivation high and your heart and mind open to new experiences and opportunities. 

Awe and Curiosity pull you outside of yourself and into this amazing planet we call home.

How to Exercise Awe and Curiosity in Everyday Life

Do you take this beautiful and amazing planet for granted?  Scientists have explored an amazing amount of the vast Universe and they haven’t discovered another one like it! Open your eyes and see the miracles around you every day. Go beyond gratitude and thankfulness and you’ll  experience awe. It’s defined as “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.” 

What inspires a feeling deep within you that fills you with wonder and reverence?  The recent aurora borealis? A thunderstorm? A newborn kitten? This sense of awe connects us with something greater than ourselves. It stops us in our tracks and makes us feel small in a good way, as we experience something beyond the norm of our everyday life. 

Here are some benefits of experiencing awe…

Less stress and better health. Moments of awe trigger physiological changes that soothe and relax the body and mind — we breathe deeper and slower, we straighten our spine and relax tensed muscles. Studies have shown how awe helps lower stress and even inflammatory responses in the immune system.

Enhanced relationships. According to one study, “inducing awe led participants to present a more balanced view of their strengths and weaknesses to others.” And it makes us more open to helping others. Awe makes us see the vastness of an experience, and in so doing, we realize that we’re all a part of a bigger picture. It makes us want to be more connected with others. Deeper learning. Experiencing awe helps us look at things in a new light. 

Awe is closely linked with your other tool of mindfulness. Awe opens your mind to being observant and non-judgmental, still and attentive. It can even sharpen our brains. 

Develop your ability to experience awe more intensely by noticing the awe-inspiring things happening around you every day.

Please, make time to regularly turn off your devices and quiet the noise. 

• Make a conscious choice to go outdoors and get in touch with nature again.
• Sleep under the stars.
• Lean in and watch an ant. 
• Ponder why leaves change color in the fall.
• Read awe-inspiring stories.
• Notice the awesome things humanity performs. 

Going on life’s journey without this tool would be like being asleep in the backseat of the car while someone else took the trip. This is your life, be fully engaged in this journey and you’ll enjoy every twist and turn along the way!

The Benefits and Practices of Curiosity

Curiosity inspires us to solve problems and think creatively. It takes us on a joyous journey of discovery. Do everything in your power to keep it alive! You’ll be amazed at what you can learn by looking at things that people don’t usually pay attention to. 

Never lose the ability to ask questions, for it reveals the greatest secrets of life. Great inventors, scientists, researchers, and leaders all wonder why something works while something else doesn’t. It’s how they discover wondrous, new things. They nurture their curiosity. 

Your “Dream Big, Start Small” here’s the one thing you can do today.

Use the following suggestions to rediscover your intellectual curiosity. This process can be used in closely examining every aspect of life — from relationships to systems, to tangible objects. 

1. Observe people with mindfulness. You can learn a lot, without becoming intrusive, as you notice what people do and say, wonder why they do it, and how it makes the participants feel. You’ll begin to notice behaviors, emotions, and patterns that give you insight into what makes people tick. 

2. Ask questions that promote observation. Look at a situation with fresh eyes and consider: 

• Where does this work?  Where wouldn’t this work?
• Why does this work?  Why doesn’t it work?
• When does this work?  When doesn’t this work?
• Who will this work for?  Who doesn’t this work for?
• What elements work?  What elements don’t?

3. Ask the question that promotes change – “what if?” People daily encounter frustrations that need solutions. You could be the catalyst for change by simply identifying an innovative solution.  

Train yourself to make notes about every frustration you see, anything from communication breakdowns to products that don’t work. Just create the habit of note-taking what you observe. 

Identify the underlying problem that creates this frustration. 

List possible solutions. What if it was bigger, smaller, faster, slower, kinder, or more forceful? Let your imagination run wild with possibilities. 

Mentally or physically take it apart to see if it’s a feasible solution. By dissecting every aspect of your solution you’ll identify places that need more work. 

Remember, this process of mindful intellectual curiosity works not only for tangible objects but also for examining your life experiences and processing what’s happening with your emotions, too. It allows you to see all sides and make adjustments as needed.

Here’s a bonus practice to cultivate curiosity during life’s challenges: 

Remember this acronym – F.A.C.T. (Face…Accept…Choose…Take Action)

FACE. Notice where the issue seems to be located around you. Alternate between facing and turning away from the issue for a minute. Then turn and face the issue directly, take a deep breath and settle. What about this issue haven’t you faced directly? Go ahead and face the issue while continuing to breathe and settle. 

ACCEPT. Continue to follow your breath and move in and out of acceptance until you settle again. Notice how your mind wants to come to the rescue and every time gently get back into your body. What is the hardest thing for you to accept about this issue? Go ahead and accept now while breathing more deeply. 

CHOOSE. Notice what other possibilities emerge when you stay in relationship with this issue. What is possible? 

TAKE ACTION. Walk and move around the room, in this generative space, and acknowledge what is possible. What is the easiest, measurable, and pleasurable action step you can take to begin creating what you really want? Write it down. What and by when? 

I’d love to hear from you during the Inner Fitness Challenge. Comment under any of my Inner Fitness Challenge posts on Facebook or LinkedIn. Let’s share our experiences during this challenge.  And to follow the Inner Fitness Challenge on my website, bookmark my blog.