This article was triggered by a number of things that, around the same time, were speaking to that ephemeral emotion, AWE.

• The book, “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder” by Berkley psychology professor, Dacher Keltner, which helps us to better understand our own “awe moments” and learn a bunch about awe’s positive impact on humans.
• Multiple interviews with Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian astronaut selected by NASA to be part of the crew for the Artemis 2 moon shot, a reminder of our heroes and the awe they inspire.
• A related editorial in the Globe & Mail, spoke to the communal awe we felt when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first walked on the moon and our need for more of that, particularly now in a troubled world.
• In an interview, one of Steven Hawking‘s collaborators described him as the freest man he’d ever met referring to his intellectual freedom and ability to ditch dogma when something new occurred to him. In other words, his curiosity was stronger than his ego.

And what’s all this got to do with making the transition into retirement?

Retiring is one of life’s biggest transitions and, as such, comes with a lot of emotional and psychological shifts. For some – the emotionally resilient, the self-reflective, the curious, the change-lovers, the renaissance ones, etc. – it’s just another thing to explore. They embrace their new state and work through the messy acclimatization with seemingly joyful energy.

Others who aren’t innately tuned that way or haven’t needed to hone those skills to get them this far, can find themselves adrift in a strange new world devoid of many things they once counted on for stability. For them, AWE may be a possible gateway emotion to stimulate curiosity and self-reflection. As it turns out, it’s free and easily accessible to all at any time with a just a tiny bit of effort to pay attention.

There are many ways to experience awe and it’s important to recognize that what moves one person to awe may leave another cold and vice versa. Here’s just one path to try. Awe Outings. In his book, Dacher Keltner talks about one form of Awe Outings – Awe Walks – in the context of experimental work his lab has done with older individuals. On an Awe Outing the only requirement is look around at the landscape, the sky, the vegetation both big (trees) and small (flowers and leaves), the animals and insects, monumental buildings and other structures if you’re in a city, the movement of others around you if it feels synchronous.

If you have very young grandchildren who spend time with you, let them be your guide. Everything is wondrous and awesome when we’re young because it’s all new. Pay attention when they stop and stare with wonder. See if you can see with their awe-struck eyes. You’ll know you’re on the right path when you start to notice things that make you stop and just appreciate them for what they are. You might feel chills or tingles or find yourself welling up or saying Wow! or Whoa!

Experiencing awe momentarily takes us out of ourselves and connects us to things bigger than us. That, in turn, taps into empathy and compassion and that other lovely emotion joy. Experiencing awe can also be addictive while it opens us to greater curiosity not only about external things but also about ourselves in relation them. A tiny gateway to navigating the changes that occur when we leave the familiarity of work behind and step into a strange new world.

If you’d like to examine your own retirement readiness in more detail while making new connections, Marilyn Hintsa will be facilitating a comprehensive Zoom-based group program, The Retirement Sandbox, starting October 18, 2023. This is a 6-session, interactive course for up to 15 people who will convene weekly for 90 minutes until November 29. Go to www.uleadu.ca/retirement-sandbox for more information and book an exploratory call with Marilyn.

Marilyn Hintsa is an accredited Retirement Readiness Coach who works with leaders of all kinds that want to continue making a difference in their post-career lives. On her own retirement journey since 2019, Marilyn lives the perspective that retirement is no reason to stop and go out to pasture, and every reason to now “do life” your way.  She is dedicated to helping her clients navigate one of life’s biggest transitions with confidence and excitement for what comes next. Connect with Marilyn at linkedin.com/in/hintsa/ or book a Retirement Readiness Chat at www.ulead.ca.