Give this exercise a go.  

Sit in front of a wall and answer the question, ” I am ________.”  Try to write down ten answers.

Now, click on this YouTube link and watch a minute or so of the video.  With the video continuing to run answer the same question, “I am ___________.”  Try to write down ten answers.  


How do the answers between the two lists compare?  Are they similar or is there a difference?

Researches found that when they performed this experiment with two groups, one seated in a hallway staring at a wall and a second group sitting in front of a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex model in a museum, the group with the dinosaur provided answers that were far more expansive than the group looking at the wall who tended to be more limiting in their answers.  Experiencing a sense of awe was a catalyst to seeing a larger frontier and being less confined in one’s perception.

Consider all the opportunities that you have to bring awe into your life and that of your cause.  Do you share awe with your fans?  Where does your staff and board meet when they are thinking strategically, in front of a wall or next to T-rex?  Does your community see you as one of many pictures hanging on an art gallery wall or as a sculpture in the middle of a the room?  How do you collect feedback from those who interact with your enterprise?  Are you able to track awe?  Can you manifest it and does it come from your organization’s purpose?