Impact strategist and systems designer, Laura François, joins us today as the Cofounder and Director of Awe Exchange, a nonprofit laboratory that champions the power of awe as a catalyst for genuine change, to relay the importance of awe in living a truly fulfilled life. We begin with the archetypal patterns of migration and transition and how this necessity to move and grow has informed Laura’s work before diving into the wonders of awe and why we all need it as a constant. Then, we unpack Barbara Neuhofer’s studies on behavioral change in Burning Man participants and how we can use awe to access the liminal space between zero inhibitions and legislating life, what South Africa’s Lugongolo Foundation teaches us about creating micro-moments of awe, and how the presence of awe improves physical and mental wellness. To end, we discover why and how awe is not learned but rather a deep remembering of the very essence of life, how to lean on awe to galvanize your actions, and how to create awe environments everywhere around you.     

In this episode, Laura François talks about: 

• The role of migration and transition in living a full, thoughtful, and reflective life [01:52]
• Why awe matters [06:22]
• Burning Man heaven – the liminal space between zero inhibitions and legislating life [14:07]
• Her Awe-To-Action Framework: How to get your daily micro-dose of awe [19:48]
• The connection between awe and physical and mental wellness [28:27]
• Staying connected to awe while doing; allowing awe to inspire action [38:35]
• Creating an awe environment around you and everywhere you go [46:19]

Resources: 

Nexus Global 

VUCA

Frank White

Subscribe and Review Poetry of Impact

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes? Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player and you’ll be the first to know when new episodes drop.

Help us craft a memorable and meaningful experience! Click here to leave a review.