“This is cool!” “Amazing!” “Unbelievable!” “I’ve never seen anything like this!” We know when we’ve been wowed. Hit by a spectacular, impressive, marvelous, sensational, out-of-category, world-class experience. Absorbed in a compelling event or defining moment.
When awe fills the mind, we understand that life is experience more than anything else. What we encounter is our life. So we search for these magical moments and ecstatic events. We chase and crave them. It’s no wonder the experience economy is exploding. We want wow, now!
Luckily, the wow effect is not just rooted in huge happenings and classy concerts. Even the tiniest events can have a profound impact on us, like an unexpected act of kindness, a personal note from a colleague, or loving attention from a friend. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, just noticed and valued.
External events can trigger a wow moment, and so can the inner events created by your thinking. For most of us, an untapped potential is waiting just outside the normal awareness span and everyday tunnel vision. The trick is to slow down, become aware, move attention inside, and create space for some thought spotting and mental sightseeing.
In normal fast-thinking mode, anticipations are met and beliefs confirmed. Not in reality, but in replay. Mental movies constantly run across the screen of consciousness to predict…
