Struggling with cynical thoughts? Listen to these symphonies.
When researchers studied awe and beauty, they found an interesting connection: when we experience awe, we move toward others in beneficial ways.
When we are overcome by the grandeur of a snowy mountain peak or delighted by a beautiful song, when we sit silently in an old church and marvel at the way the sunlight seeps through the stained-glass windows, or when we’re delighted by our children’s squeals as they run through the sprinkler in the backyard, we let go of our “it’s all about me” fixation.
We are freed from being the center of our own worlds for just a moment, and in doing so, we become more invested in the well-being of others, more generous, less entitled. Have you experienced this? It’s the moment when your heart swells and feels as if it might explode trying to take in how beautiful something is. Cynicism says, “I’m surrounded by incompetence, fraudsters, and disappointment.” Delight tears down our walls and allows hope and worship to flood in.
To read more about the ways we can interrupt our spiraling toxic thoughts, find a copy of my book Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts anywhere books are sold.
