Unveiling the 'Little Whys': Finding Awe in Everyday Moments

During your day, do you notice moments which fill you with awe, like the sun bursting through storm clouds, or the pure joy streaking across the face of a child learning to ride a bike? Could it be that being present to live these moments of awe add up  – little "whys" that, when we notice them, make life vibrant, instilling gratitude, regardless of the larger circumstances of life?

These accumulated “little whys” of life, in addition to cultivating our bigger why – our authentic purpose in life – is a theme of Dr. Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning.  Dr. Frankl's book provides insight to how we have the power to choose how we react and respond to situations, and how these choices make a difference in how we emerge through challenging situations.  On a recent podcast release, called Cultivating Meaning and Resilience in Cancer Survivorship, Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown and Dr. Samantha Seigel, MD, further discuss recognizing and making choices in mindset, and how the power of defining and recognizing “whys” is so important in cancer care.  (You can access that podcast HERE.)

Both Frankl’s work and the Wellness Within podcast had me asking, what are the “whys” of Wellness Within?  Wellness Within is comprised of a small team of staff, board members, instructors, volunteers, donors, sponsors, community health workers and clients. In short, YOU.  Everyone comes together, passionate, hard-working, and driven towards improving the lives of those impacted by the trauma of cancer and enhancing quality of life for each individual.  This is the Wellness Within mission, and it is indeed the ‘big picture’ why.  

But when we intentionally journey through the everyday by living the Wellness Within motto – Pause. Breathe. Proceed. – we can be repeatedly met with multiple “little whys”.  When I witness an individual enter Wellness Within reserved, overwhelmed, and anxious, but then leave the center engaged, with more lightness and joy, I recognize my own internal shift, and I take note of this "why".  When I hear a burst of laughter from the center’s studio, I also feel a “why”.  When I read an email from a client about how they navigated the rest of their day after a class, feeling restored and able to face that which presented itself throughout their day, my own heart lightens, and I smile.  The "little whys" stack up, and I begin to realize I am feeling fulfilled. 

Many stakeholders and virtually every grant we apply for asks, “how do you measure success?” Certainly, Wellness Within staff captures and analyzes plenty of data.  We have key performance indicators.  We administer surveys. We conduct trend analysis. This information, while important for any business, is simply what it is – metrics and datapoints. To me, at the end of the day, I measure success by the feeling I get when I see we are achieving our "big why" - our mission, our purpose - by accumulating the “little whys” we witness as we make a difference in the lives of each individual, one person at a time.   

As you journey through your day today, I invite you to take moments to Pause. Breathe. Proceed. When your body sings at the awe and beauty of birdsong, perhaps ask yourself, is that a “little why”?  When sitting in traffic, perhaps glance at the light through the trees, noticing the sway of the leaves in the wind,  their diverse colors, which when all combined create the most perfect and unique pallet of colors. That ‘color pallet’ may not be there tomorrow, or even in 5 minutes. The transitory reality of life makes each moment we notice -  really notice -  even more a gift to behold. Upon witnessing, perhaps again ask, is this a "little why”?

Within each of us is something unique, something to which we have been called by the world to provide. Today, maybe all that is required is to silence society’s demands and pressures and to honor that which is within.  Truly, living with Wellness Within. Pausing, Breathing, before Proceeding, and recognizing and embracing our “whys” regardless of how passing, fleeting or "little" they may seem.

Wishing you peace,  

Elizabeth Klein

Executive Director