The Wisdom of Awe

Have you ever stood before something vast—the endless stretch of desert, the towering peaks of a mountain range, or the infinite expanse of the ocean—and felt an unshakable stillness settle within you? In that moment, thought fades. There is no judgment, no analysis, no urge to hold on or change anything. There is only presence. This is awe.

But as soon as we turn inward, thought floods in. We try to capture the feeling, to define it, to make it ours. We often mistake memory for meaning, believing that if we can label or recreate the moment, we can possess it. But awe cannot be possessed—it can only be experienced.

We often confuse thought with wisdom, but thought is always confined to what is already known. True wisdom—the wisdom of awe—only emerges when we step beyond the limits of memory and expectation. It appears in those rare moments when we are so fully present that we tune into something far greater than ourselves.

Our struggles, fears, and disappointments—don’t they stem from the stories we tell ourselves, the images we carry of who we are and what life should be? What if, even for a moment, we could let go of all that and make space for something new?

I’ve traveled far and wide, and I’m here to tell you—there are wild blue oceans, towering mountains, golden deserts, lush rainforests, and otherworldly landscapes brimming with awe. More awe than you could fit into a lifetime!

Awe grants us the chance to experience a wisdom that exists beyond the boundaries of thought. It is sacred—but only if we allow it to remain just that—and not try to turn it into something. Some “thing,” which it is not.

Photo: Dirty Devil Wilderness, Utah