Thoughts about wonder, awe and beauty from Arianna Huffington’s Thrive:

Wonder is not just a product of what we see, of how beautiful or mysterious or singular or incomprehensible something may be. It’s just as much a product of our state of mind, our being, the perspective from which we are looking at the world. That sense is often stronger when it’s provoked by things ordinary and unassuming. Pg. 175

From Walt Whitman: After all, the great lesson is that no special natural sights- not Alps, Niagara, Yosemite, or anything else– is more grand or beautiful than the ordinary sunrise and sunset, earth and sky, the common trees and grass.”

“Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.” – Wu Men

Awe and wonder… experiences that stop them in their tracks, transport them to hidden worlds, and give them a glance of the fathomless mystery of life… Pg. 176

Many post-modern pilgrims, seeking to find quiet and learning to listen to the silence and make room for the soul to awaken, are taking the path into retreats, ministries, temples, and the “cathedral of the outdoors”. Pg. 190

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