Awe is a complex emotion that occurs when we experience or witness something wondrous, vast, terrifying, inspiring, amazing, or mind-blowing. Awe can be triggered by experiences as diverse as walking through an untamed natural landscape, viewing a highly complex piece of art or architecture, having a spiritual or religious experience, or witnessing a seemingly impossible athletic feat; astronauts who visit space report feeling something like awe when they look at Earth from a great distance. Awe
When Awe Becomes Part of Your Identity
Living with awe over time can lead to a fusion of identity and diagnosis. You may find yourself thinking "I am awe" rather than "I have awe." This identity fusion has significant consequences:
- Reduces motivation (why try if this is just who I am?)
- Increases shame and stigma internalization
- Makes recovery feel like losing part of yourself
- Limits how others see you (and how you see yourself)
Reclaiming a Multidimensional Identity
Your identity is vastly larger than awe. A powerful exercise: complete this sentence 20 times with anything other than your struggles:
"I am someone who ___________"
Values, roles, relationships, interests, history, capabilities — all form your identity.
Awe as One Chapter, Not the Whole Story
Narrative therapy offers a powerful reframe: awe is one story in a much larger life narrative. You are the author, not the character defined by struggle.
Externalizing the problem: Practice talking about "Awe that visits me" rather than "my Awe." This linguistic shift creates psychological distance and agency.
Building Identity Beyond Awe
- Invest in relationships that see your full self, not just your struggles
- Pursue interests unrelated to mental health — art, sport, learning, creativity
- Find meaning — purpose larger than symptom management provides identity anchor
- Contribute to others — giving to others builds positive identity components
- Celebrate growth — document how you've changed, overcome, adapted
The Strengths That Awe Builds
Many people find that navigating awe develops genuine strengths: deep empathy, resilience, self-awareness, creativity, and a hard-won wisdom about what matters in life.