The Power of Awe: How Wonder Can Transform Your Daily Life

Rabbi Noach Weinberg, in his series “48 Ways to Wisdom,” explains the teaching in Pirkei Avot and presents the forty-eight paths suggested by the Sages as tools for living life wisely and fully.

The fifth path to wise living is “with awe.” Rabbi Weinberg describes awe not as fear or anxiety, but as a feeling of profound wonder. It is a sense of smallness, almost to the point of being overwhelmed, that comes from encountering something of immense power.

Standing Before the Forces of Creation

In his vivid style, Rabbi Weinberg describes the feelings we experience when we stand before the great forces of creation:

“Imagine yourself standing above a vast crater. Above you is a sky scattered with countless stars. Then, slowly, the sun begins to rise through the mist of dawn. The desert sky is painted with thousands of shades of purple and orange. And you feel your heart filling with elevated emotions of wonder.

“When we look at a sky filled with stars, we see power, beauty, perfection, and harmony. We understand that each of those millions of tiny stars is actually a giant sun. In comparison with such immense power, we feel like a tiny and insignificant point in the universe. We feel our weakness, our helplessness, how small and temporary we are.

“And yet, surprisingly, we do not become depressed. On the contrary, we feel uplifted: I am part of this magnificent perfection. I belong to this tremendous power. That realization can become a tremendous source of positive energy. If you learn to recognize the secret of awe, and use it correctly, you can enjoy that energy in everyday life.”

How Do We Preserve Wonder in Everyday Life?

Rabbi Weinberg explains that every one of us experiences moments of elevation: a powerful thunderstorm, a storm at sea, a journey through the desert, perhaps a trip through rainforests, remote regions of the East, or the Swiss Alps, or even a brief conversation with a famous politician or actor.

And yet, he says, we usually leave the experience behind and return to everyday routine without allowing it to change us in any lasting way.

“The secret of preserving the energy,” he explains, “is the ability to recall a past experience and use its energy again in the future.”

How does that work?

The next time you feel awe, whether it is triggered by a person or by the forces of nature, put your experience into words. Say out loud: ‘Wow, this is amazing!’ You will feel as though a small voice inside you confirms those words. You may shiver, and feel uplifted. But even more important, the moment becomes defined. You now have a point of reference you can return to in the future.

The next step, of course, is to replay that moment in your imagination. If you have unused time, such as when you are stuck in traffic, take yourself back to that moment of wonder. Suddenly, as if by magic, the world looks different. You are on a different wavelength now. It is no longer just an ordinary traffic jam.

Awe Changes Perspective

When a person preserves moments of awe, his entire perspective expands.

Rabbi Weinberg gives an example: suppose someone calls you stupid, your parents are nagging you, or your boss is making life miserable. In those moments, it is easy to become angry and sink into self-pity.

But there is another possibility.

Take a short break. Go outside and walk beneath the stars. Looking at the vastness of the infinite puts things back into proportion. When you return, you may be filled with new energy and able to say, “All right, I’m sorry. Let’s forget about it and move on.”

Awe allows you to step beyond the limitations of the body and the ego. Suddenly, you are in a world of entirely different dimensions. You enter the eternity of beauty, power, and majesty. You gain a broader perspective. It is no longer simply me against someone else. We are all part of something much larger, so why become angry?

Rabbi Weinberg promises that whenever you sink into routine, you can break out of it. Go for a walk and look at the sky. The power will release itself. There is no chance you will remain bored, miserable, or petty when you are in a state of awe.

Focusing on Life’s Simple Beauty Lifts Us Above Pettiness

Rabbi Weinberg continues by explaining that awe does not appear only when we witness dramatic forces such as storms or waterfalls. It can also arise from small and quiet things.

“After a storm,” he says, “you open the window and look outside. Suddenly you see an amazing sight: tiny drops of rain falling one after another from the leaves of a tree, sparkling like little diamonds. The trees shine as though they have been taken from a fairy tale. Everything looks cleaner, greener, fresher. A timeless moment.”

When we focus on the simple beauty of life, we rise above ourselves, connect to the infinite, and let go of pettiness.

This quiet awe is always available to us: a spring walk in a grove, a flowing stream, beautiful music, a baby’s laughter, the beating of the heart.

Why Don’t We Feel Awe All the Time?

Rabbi Weinberg asks a penetrating question: if such wonder is always available, why do we not feel it constantly?

His answer is simple: yesterday’s novelty becomes today’s boredom.

Watch a small child, and you will see how every little thing is a source of discovery and excitement. But it does not take long before the child grows accustomed to everything around him — people, toys, games, and quickly becomes bored.

Rabbi Weinberg offers practical advice: instead of continuing to treat everything around you as obvious and routine, stop and think. When you look at another person, try to be amazed by the miracle of their very existence.

Think, for example, about human speech: the astonishing coordination between lips, teeth, tongue, throat, and the brain above them all, which plans, shapes, and translates thoughts into movements of muscles, producing sound waves. This entire miraculous process happens at extraordinary speed, through the movement of atoms held together by remarkable forces of attraction.

Stand still for a moment in awe. Look at the world in its true dimensions, not as the ordinary “nature” we have become used to. Do this even once, and you will feel the strings of your vitality tuning themselves to the power of life’s magnificent symphony.

There is no need to travel around the world looking for excitement and moments of wonder. Such moments surround us constantly and everywhere. We only need to open our eyes, and they will appear on their own. Every time you see a train, the sea, or a flower, there is nothing “natural” or “routine” about its existence. Nothing at all. Have you ever stopped to think how an entire grove can grow from one tiny seed?

The World Is Astonishing — We Only Need to Notice

“Our world is amazing,” Rabbi Weinberg says, “and all that remains for us is to notice.”

The real challenge is to remain sensitive and alert. To keep our eyes open, even if we need to prop up our eyelids with matchsticks. Never to become bored. Never to surrender to routine. Never to think that everything is flat and one-dimensional. We must continue asking ourselves: What is life? Who are we? What are we doing here?

If you pay attention and think about everything happening around you, life becomes completely different. It becomes a different intensity of existence, a different way of relating to family, friends, and the entire world around you.

You will no longer be petty. You will no longer surrender so easily. You will have risen above those problems. You will have grown and advanced. Everything in life becomes fascinating and stirring. It is a profound change that can accompany you all your days.

Look at Yourself With the Same Awe You Would Feel Before an Erupting Volcano

A chimpanzee is already an astonishing creature. Its intelligence, grace, and social abilities make it remarkable.

And that is only a chimpanzee. Imagine, then, what a human being is in comparison.

A human being also contains spiritual potential. Every person is created in the image of God. We possess superhuman capacities. According to Judaism, we can grow and rise by walking in God’s ways. That knowledge alone is enough to make every person wondrous.

King David wrote in Tehillim: “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You established — what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but little lower than God.”

When I look at the heavens and the stars that You created, I am filled with wonder — what is man, that You, God, grant him such attention and dignity?

Look at yourself with the same awe you would feel before an erupting volcano. There is tremendous power within you. You only need to learn how to use it. The energy within you is waiting for the moment when it will be brought into expression. Never allow yourself to forget that.

Do not belittle yourself. Stop focusing on what you are right now. Instead, focus on what you can become. Use that power wisely. If you are facing an important deadline or preparing to speak before a large audience, go for a walk beneath the stars. The walk will clear your mind and restore proper perspective. There is no reason to panic. A whole world of opportunity is waiting for you. It is time to step forward and break beyond the imaginary boundaries that surround you.

If Creation Is So Wonderful, Imagine How Wonderful Its Creator Must Be

There is also a shortcut that leads to awe: go to the source.

The reason a flower, a storm, the sea, or music is so astonishing is that each reflects something of eternity and infinity, something of that immense spiritual power called God. If creation is so wonderful, imagine how wonderful the One who created it must be.

Think about what God does for you every single day. The Torah teaches that reality is renewed at every moment by God Himself. The Creator’s involvement in our lives is astonishing. Stop and examine how that is expressed in your own existence.

If you tried to explain to a little girl playing with dolls that there is a larger reality, that there is room to grow and advance, she would not understand what you were talking about. In the same way, if you try to explain to someone who is not yet aware of God’s existence that there is so much more growth and reality beyond the life he currently knows, he will not understand either.

Only when we know that there is a God who created the world, who continues to sustain it, and who watches over all that happens in it, do we begin to connect with true reality. Awareness of God opens us and gives us a new perspective on life. We begin to notice possibilities and dimensions we were unable to see before.

God is personally connected to every individual. He relates to us and is aware of all that we do. We are expressions of His presence in the world. He communicates with us through His magnificent and carefully designed world. He is here with us and for us.

It is as though the Creator of the world is saying to you: My child, I love you. I created you in order to give you happiness. Come, join Me, and let us explore the world together.

Torah Is a Personal Message From God

If you were to receive a secret message from outer space, it would amaze you. You would do everything possible to discover who sent it and what their intentions were.

The Torah, Rabbi Weinberg says, is a personal message from God to His children. Treat it with reverence.

Whether you know it consciously or not, every one of us longs for an elevated spiritual experience. We truly live for that moment of recognition, of contact with God.

Awe is the awareness of our smallness and seeming insignificance in contrast to the greatness of the Creator.

Are you worried about your car, your paycheck, or theater tickets? It is almost absurd to worry about such things when you are standing in the presence of God. That is the source of the feeling of elevation, detachment, and connection to the eternal infinite.

Prayer and Intention

The way to communicate with God is through prayer. Prayer is the experience of speaking directly to Him. You are speaking with the Creator of the world. The next time you say a blessing, be aware of whom you are addressing.

Pause before any significant action and ask yourself: Why am I doing this?

Many people have the custom of saying before a meaningful act, “For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Presence.” They dedicate the act to drawing closer to God.

Concentrate each time you begin to do something — before eating, on the way to work, while watering the garden. Pause and say: This is in honor of my connection with the One who created me.

Head in Heaven, Feet on the Ground

Rabbi Weinberg concludes with a stirring call: “Move forward in this way, with your head touching the heavens and your feet on the ground.

“There is a human tendency toward pettiness. Awe draws us out of those feelings. Awe is the result of seeing potential being realized. Awe can break through laziness and boredom. It releases hidden energies that lie within you.

“Look for the small astonishing things. There is no end to the beauty of creation. Use the beauty of everyday life to strengthen your bond with the Creator of the world.”