Unlocking the Alchemy of Awe: How Wonder Transforms Us with Monica Parker

From the first tickle of curiosity to an unexpected shift in how we perceive the world, there isn’t a person who hasn’t felt wonder, and yet the why and how of this profoundly beneficial emotion is only just beginning to be scientifically defined and explored. This episode I am speaking with thought leader Monica Parker. In her brand new book, The Power of Wonder, she explores the power of wonder to transform the way we learn, develop new ideas, drive social change, and ultimately become better humans.

The Power of Wonder takes us on a multidisciplinary journey through psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, literature, and business to share some of the surprising secrets behind the mechanics of wonder and guides us into bringing more of it into our lives. Monica illuminates the components and elicitors of wonder, and how it can transform our bodies and brains. From taking a daily “awe walk” to discovering a new and all-consuming interest in something you’d never given much thought to before, her book shows readers how to become more wonder-prone and reconnect with a reverence for the world and all the fascinating people in it.

Monica Parker is a world-renowned speaker, writer, and authority on the future of work and she has spent decades helping people discover how to lead and live wonderfully.

The founder of global human analytics and change consultancy HATCH, whose clients include blue-chip companies such as LinkedIn, Google, Prudential, and LEGO, Monica challenges corporate systems to advocate for more meaningful work lives.

In addition to her extensive advocacy work, Monica has led a truly wonder filled life, she has been an opera singer, a museum exhibition designer, a policy director, a Chamber of Commerce CEO, and a homicide investigator defending death row inmates, amongst other.

Get ready for a conversation that will leave you truly inspired and fired up to encounter the world with a reignited sense of wonder.

In this episode with Monica, you’ll discover:

-How Monica discovered the wonders of wonder through a wide variety of careers…04:10

-Wonder defined, and how we can recognize it when we experience it…07:45

-Various states of wonder, for better or worse…15:00

-How a state of wonder allows room for negative emotions which ultimately enrich our lives…20:45

-Why we become disconnected with wonder as we age…27:30

-How wonder unchecked leads to potentially dangerous situations…35:55

-The history of “awe” and how it differs from a state of wonder….39:50

-How the 1969 moon landing changed the collective sense of wonder…45:30

-Steps to take to become more “wonder prone”….51:25

-And much more…