Recently, I came across an interesting post on LinkedIn by Nina Rios-Doria, a PhD and Performance Coach based in USA. She had borrowed from Brene Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart and delved on the concept of mental health benefits from experiencing “wonder and awe.” Coincidently, I experienced my own wonder and awe in the last few weeks over two separate occasions. One experience that made me feel overwhelmed and so petty especially whenever I brooded over my own problems. This being my hundredth blog, I thought there could not have been a better subject than for me to share my experience of these two disparate but cathartic encounters.
On March 18th, my wife Kavita and I decided to host a lunch of pav bhaji and jalebis (Indian delicacies) for the hearing handicapped students of Jankibai Shikshan Sanstha’s Vikas Vidyalaya which is based in Dadar, Mumbai. This amazing school was founded in the 60s by Mrs. Rohinitai Limaye and is currently run by her daughter in law – Mrs. Smita Limaye and Mrs. Asha Thatte, both very dear friends of our family. The moment we entered the school premises, we experienced wonder and awe. As defined by Brown, “Wonder inspires the wish to understand; awe inspires the wish to let it shine, to acknowledge and to unite.” When feeling awe, we tend to simply stand back and observe, to provide a stage for the phenomenon to shine.” And this is precisely what we did. We just stood there and were transfixed at the enthusiasm and desire to learn from these hearing handicapped kids aged between six years to sixteen years. They exhibited a steely resolve to overcome their handicap; accept what fate had dished out to them and yet work towards making a mark and their presence felt in this world.
There was this seven-year-old boy, who travels all the way from Alibaug by boat and then the train every day to the school located almost fifty kilometers away from his home. Yet he feels on top of the world as he so proudly exclaimed that he was the only one who travelled to his school in a boat. A privilege that none of his friends in school could experience. And here we are, cursing and raging when we get delayed by traffic in this chaotic city. We heard some beautiful renditions of poems and short stories from these kids who despite their handicap effortlessly showcased their talent. The art and craft work done by some of these kids could demand a place in the best museums of the world. The science laboratory allowed the students to experience the marvels of science in a simple yet exploratory manner. The teachers were top notch with the required qualifications and more importantly with empathy and love for the kids. No wonder that the hundred odd students in the school are performing well not just in academics but in extracurricular activities. Since 1994, around 400 students have passed the Secondary School Certificate S.S.C exams and the school has an enviable 100% success rate.
I was awestruck during the visit and seeing the joy the kids experienced while enjoying a simple and wholesome meal of Pav Bhajji and Jalebis. The kids now want Pizzas and Burgers and we have promised them another visit soon with the same. During this visit, I understood what the author meant when she said that wonder and awe help us emotionally and increase our empathy. She has listed down five ways in which we can experience this wonder and awe in our daily lives.
- Being self-aware
- Being present in the moment (A nudge for all those who are busy taking selfies)
- Expressing gratitude
- Breathing slowly and deliberately whenever aware
- Walk in Nature (A challenge for my fellow Mumbaikars)
It is easy to practice each of the above. So, let us start doing that and experience wonder and awe.
My next experience of wonder and awe happened just last week when I visited the gorgeous north eastern part of our country for the first time. While I had been to Guwahati on work a few years ago, last week I made a work trip to Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh and then Shillong in Meghalaya. Both towns just blew me away not just with their natural beauty and salubrious climate but the discipline, humility, courtesy, and civic sense that the citizens exhibited. I did not come across a single individual driving on the wrong side of the road, nor did I see a single political poster despite the elections just a couple weeks away. I also noticed that sycophancy was not at all flaunted unlike so shamelessly seen in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, and Delhi where I live and travel regularly. I guess the political cadre in the north east is not aware of the birthday of their leaders. The traffic discipline in Shillong was my moment of wonder and awe as you can see from the video below.
Can we big city residents even imagine that this is possible? Is the lack of empathy, arrogance, indiscipline, and selfishness so ingrained in us that one will need to visit Shillong to experience an evolved civic culture within Indian society?
Culturally the people of north east came across as several decades ahead of the rest of the country. The few incidents of yobbish and disorderly behaviour were seen from the visiting tourists. I am so glad that my venture, Nudge Sports has decided to invest its time and resources in the north east. The sporting talent across combat sports, hockey, wushu, football, basketball and weight-lifting are phenomenal. They have the infrastructure, though a lot more needs to be done; they have the coaches and academy owners who are solely focused on the athlete and the athletes have the hunger and the talent to reach the top. At the international stage, we have already seen athletes like Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, Sushila Devi, Lalremsiami, Hima Das, Shiva Thapa, Amlan Borgohain, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, Mepung Lamgu, Eugene Lyngdom, and Lovlina Borgohain to name a few. By the time the summer Olympics reach the Indian shores in 2036, I will not be surprised to see their share in our contingent increasing significantly.
I will be visiting both Shillong and Itanagar once again in June and hope to make a trip to Aizwal, Imphal and Kohima soon. Perhaps there will be more moments of wonder and awe for me.
