Awake to Wonder: Live like you mean it!

Awake to Wonder's Season 1 Finale is here! To wrap up a WONDER-ful season of guests, Jonathan and I recap our favorite moments of the season, share the story behind the podcast intro song, and talk about one of the most important places to find wonder: in marriage. Feat. special guest Joe Wistrcill (aka Reverse Mechanic). Now's the time to leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Connect us to great guests for Season 2: awaketowonder@gmail.com Sign up to get notified when Season 2 kicks off: www.awaketowonder.com

Send in your WOW wonder moments! What stood out to you from our guests this season? What new appreciation for wonder have you experienced? What moments of awe have transpired in your life lately? Send them to us! awaketowonder@gmail.com. We will share a few on our season finale next week! 

Within our experience of wonder, when we encounter something beautiful, there is almost something transcendent about it. On this week's episode, we explore with Fr. Brian Larkin, host of the Gregorian Rant podcast, the spiritual components to beauty and wonder, and how it can speak to our deepest desires. “Just like we know in our world that if you stand for truth, there's going to be a battle. If you stand for goodness, there's going to be a battle. We oftentimes don't think we have to battle for beauty…but we do. There's a lot of ugliness in the world, and we don't just have to appreciate beauty, we actually have to fight for it. We have to be willing to sacrifice for it.” -Fr. Brian Larkin Send us a wonder moment or connect us to guests: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com

We are the first generation to have access to our genome data. Our genomes make up the story and wonderment of who we are as human species. Combining information from human genomes with poetic visualization, Lynn Fellman combines art and story to illuminate the beauty and benefit of evolutionary science. In this episode we learn: How some genes have codes for extra sensory powers and could reveal rare life-enhancing mutations that only you possess The story and evolution of “jumping genes” and how this can be used as a tool for gene discovery in cancer. “There is grandeur in this view of life from so simple a beginning. Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” - Charles Darwin Lynn Fellman: LynnFellman.com and shop her work: https://lynnfellman.com/shop/ National Institute of Health's free "All of Us" program: https://allofus.nih.gov Genetic variations for synesthesia: https://www.pnas.org/content/115/12/3168 Send in a wonder moment or connect us to a guest: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com

"The laws of nature remind us that no matter how long, seeds do grow. Push through long enough to see your seeds grow." - Andrena Sawyer   See all Wonder Wednesday content: www.awaketowonder.com Send us your wonder moments: awaketowonder@gmail.com

Meet Ava through the eyes of her sister, Ashlyn Frederick, Executive Director at The Mission Project for adults with developmental disabilities. Ava has Down Syndrome, the most common chromosomal disorder in the U.S. Ava lives life with constant wonder, teaching us to celebrate our achievements and never give up. “We should all have courage to do something that we want to, regardless of how small it seems—and find joy in that and be brave. That's what Ava and other children and adults with disabilities have taught me.” Send in a wonder moment or connect us with a guest: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com

As your end of the month recap and reflection, special guest Joe Wistrcill joins us to dive into the future of Space Tourism, Mangrove Trees, and our WOWs from the week. We take a look at the future of space travel which YOU can reserve a front row seat to! With recent news coming out from Worldview Aerospace Company, a gentle ride through the stratosphere to see the wonders of the world from the edge of space, will soon be possible. Tune in for this World of Wonder segment. Send in a Wonder Moment or connect us to guests: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com  

 “Oh no, a bee!” You may not have a very positive association with bees…don't they sting? Fun fact: not all bees do. And without their help, our entire planet's terrain would look different, and many of your favorite foods would be essentially nonexistent. Think you know all the buzz on bees? Learn more wonders of these amazing creatures and how they can even teach us how to be more selfless and contribute to the common good. In this podcast episode we're chatting with Tierney Monahan, Beekeeper and Author of “Beyond Honey.” In this episode, we explore: "The flight of the bumblebee": The wonderful and necessary “symphony” of pollination What's actually going on in a beehive? What health and wellness properties do honey and other beehive products bring us? What can bees teach us humans? Don't forget to subscribe and comment! "Beyond Honey" book: https://www.tierneymonahan.com/ Send in a wonder moment or connect us with a guest: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com

On this episode, our guest Dan Purkapile, cabinetmaker to casket designer, takes us through why he decided to beautify his mother's casket when she became ill, and what the designs he chose represent about his beliefs around death and hope. Earning his title - “Cabinet-making Philosopher on Beauty" - we expand beyond cabinets to Roman art, space exploration and why caskets make us so uncomfortable.   Capstone Woodworking: capstonewoodworking.com  Sign up for episode takeaways: www.awaketowonder.com Send us a potential guest or a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com 

Through the eyes is how many of us begin the incredible encounter with the wonders of the world. The miracle of vision is one of the greatest gifts we have as humans; and yet, our eyes do much more than simply see things. Dr. Charles Yancey takes us through the wonders of one of the most complex organisms in our body. We'll learn why: The eye is the fastest muscle in our body How visual eye puzzles and tricks work Why so much of our brain is devoted to our eyes What being nearsighted or farsighted and 20/20 vision actually means Whether everyone has blindspots in their vision How the brain compensates for those who have sight impairments "The eye is so complex and it has so many different disciplines in it. Let's just say it has physics with optics. It has incredibly complex neurobiology. It is integrated with so many different systems in our body. And it's just so complex that I can't imagine how that would ever have come without design.” -Dr. Charles Yancey Send in a wonder moment or connect us to guests! awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com

“There's a rhythm to nature, it's never in a hurry or a rush.” In this first end-of-the-month minisode, our guest co-host Jonathan reflects on his most recent W.O.W (World of Wonder) experience. Taking a break from his real estate hustle to watch some famous(?) barn animals, he helps us discover that we can learn a thing or two from horses and donkeys. Each Wonder Wednesday you've gotten loads of awesome insight from our weekly guests. These monthly WOW minisodes are meant to give you a chance to breathe, to reflect, and to share with us your own wonder moments (so we might spread the wonder to others!): awaketowonder@gmail.com. Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: awaketowonder@gmail.com

"The daily work of the home is something for you, not against you." - Mary Sarah Ivers If you're overwhelmed or unmotivated by thinking your home has to be on the next cover of Better Homes and Gardens, then this podcast episode is for you! (Yes men, you too). We'll answer questions like: How do we elevate mundane tasks in our homes? How do beautiful spaces affect us? How has the value of homemaking changed in today's society? We'll also explore how "shopping small" can help us pass along the stories and lived experiences of others. Mary Sarah, owner of The Olive Branch, a small shop online and in Littleton, Colorado, speaks to how we can elevate our mundane daily tasks and rediscover wonder and purpose in our homes and in the lost art of homemaking. "Beautiful. Practical. Handcrafted." This is the vision of The Olive Branch, which hopes to reveal the beauty found in the ordinary through thoughtfully made, beautiful goods for the home - made by the people who surround us and sharing their stories - so that every good is a sign that we belong to each other. "The business done in the home is nothing less than the shaping of bodies and souls of humanity." -GK Chesterton "Homes that are truly lived in, won't always be ones of picture, perfect curation, but rather they can, despite some occasional chaos, express their perfection as places where the very robust and real activity of family life can belong and flourish.” -Theology of Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday The Olive Branch Shop: https://olivebranchshop.co/ Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com

“Beauty isn't just for artists or those who have time to go to the Opera. No. Beauty is necessary. It's also accessible to all of us.” - Dr. Daniel McClure Part 2 of 2. With Psychologist Dr. Daniel McClure, we explore how beauty is used in clinical treatment. We explore beauty's relationship with mental health, human suffering, and whether it's successful in art and music therapy. We also reveal how experiencing awe can change our human behaviors and better equip us to adapt and take risks in life. On this episode we explore: Our core emotions and how they cause us to experience or avoid reality How to be vulnerable in a way that brings about healing How we can re-encounter beautiful things with a renewed sense of newness ------------------ Dr. Daniel McClure's Dissertation Other Resources: "Happiness & Contemplation" (by Joseph Piper) "Orthodoxy" (Ch. 3) (by Chesterton) Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com www.awaketowonder.com

"I believe everyone has the desire to be chosen or preferred by beauty. We want beauty to come to us and give value to our existence and say, 'I give myself to you. You matter.'" - Dr. Daniel McClure In Part 1 of this 2-part episode, we examine: Is beauty considered a psychological "need" for humans? What's going on in our brains when we experience beauty? What's the relationship between beauty and our attachments (i.e. where we go when we are emotionally distressed)? ----------------- Dr. Daniel McClure's Dissertation Other Resources: "How we experience awe and why it matters" TED talk by neuroscientist, Beau Lotto "How awe changes you" by SciShow Psych Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: awaketowonder.com

In 2012, Marjorie Aunos' life forever changed when she became paraplegic as the result of a car accident. Singly raising her 16-month old son, she found strength in her rehabilitation through practicing Wonder.  Working as a speaker, a Psychologist and an advocate for parents with intellectual disabilities, or “different-abilities”, Marjorie brings her work and experiences to IASSID (International Association for the Scientific Study of Mental Deficiency) to support these parents.  Hear her story and how we can harness what the school of Positive Psychology deems a powerful character strength called “Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence.”   Marjorie Aunos' YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3Ax4Sm5 Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com. 

Awe happens when something is SO VAST that it's hard to fit into our current way of thinking. Today we speak with Joe Beckman on the wonders of toast, clouds, puddles, and 5 life-saving phrases every kid...no...every human needs to hear. "If you want to be truly happy, keep that little kid inside of you alive. Grow up, move forward, take risks, accept new challenges. And at the same time, don't forget to play and dance and jump in puddles and make shapes out of clouds. You can still build maturity, but live enthusiastically in wonder and awe."   GUEST: Joe Beckman ("Just Look Up" book, merch & hire as a speaker): joebeckman.com Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com Instagram: @awaketowonderpodcast

It's 2021. We made it through the challenging year of 2020 but are we headed the right direction, or could we be evolving backwards in terms of our human inclination towards wonder? Could the key to unlock wonder and awe be in becoming more "useless?" When a society is filled with busy bodies and obsessed with ideological debates, there is almost always simultaneously a lack of wonder and beauty. What has the COVID-19 quarantine taught us in terms of letting reality "lead us?" As humans, we lack. What prevents us from receiving wonder?   Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com Instagram: @awaketowonderpodcast  

Wonder is something we've all experienced, but do we actually know what it is? Or moreover, why it's so important for us to experience? Are we beginning to lose the meaning of it in our world and as we get older? Here we will start by exploring the power of wonder in our own lives and stories. Moving forward with this podcast and our guests, we ask that you: Put on a beginner's lens as if you were hearing these discoveries for the first time Approach wonder as more than "useful tool". Productivity isn't our only aim in this life! “If there are people who are indifferent to beauty, then it is surely because they do not perceive it.” - Roger Scruton Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com Instagram: @awaketowonderpodcast

This is more than a podcast to pass the time. This is a podcast of WONDER. Wonder is for everybody. For every human being. Wonder is also universal and may be a key to addressing some of our larger, societal problems  Wonder can help protect our physical health and wellbeing  Wonder allows us to better adapt to major things like taking risks, handling conflict and adjusting to uncertainty Wonder delves us into the depths of our desires, and unveils core truths that can help us answer questions about our purpose and identity  Revive yourself, reignite your passion, and start living like you mean it!   Send in a wonder moment: awaketowonder@gmail.com Website: www.awaketowonder.com Instagram: @awaketowonderpodcast