Living with Awe and Intuition

The new year has already been underway for nearly a month.

While I find myself thinking, “The first month went by so quickly!”, I also feel as though I’ve been able to ground myself and live each day with intention.

One reason for this might be the fact that I’ve already managed to witness five sunrises since the start of the year.

Here in the Netherlands, just outside The Hague, at 52 degrees north latitude, we’re quite far north. For reference, my home country, Japan’s Wakkanai City in Hokkaido is at 45 degrees north latitude, giving an idea of just how northern this area is.

On New Year’s Day here, the sun rises around 8:50 a.m., which is a much more forgiving time compared to waking up before 6 a.m. to go out and witness the first sunrise in Kanto area of Japan at around 6:50 a.m.

Moreover, the spot where I go to watch the sunrise is a natural park by the water, just a 10-minute walk from my home. It’s amazing to be able to walk such a short distance and witness the sun slowly rising into the sky.

On January 1st, the weather was stormy, so I stayed indoors. On the second, I missed the sunrise because I realised too late that it had already passed. So, my first sunrise of the year was on January 3rd.

Sunrise on 3 January

Even when the sun is partially obscured by clouds, watching it peek over the horizon and gradually climb higher fills me with gratitude every time.

For me, this is the ultimate source of awe.

The English word "awe" is often used as is in Japanese. Translations like “畏怖の念” or “畏敬の気持ち” don’t quite capture the essence of the word for me.

When I asked AI to define "awe" without using words like “畏怖” or “畏敬,” the response was:

"Awe is a special feeling of deep amazement and reverence, a mix of emotions that arise when something in front of you is so grand, mysterious, or moving that it makes you feel small in comparison."

I think this captures it beautifully.

This word, awe, is something I’ve decided to focus on as a keyword for my work this year. Awe has various effects, including "healing," which is profound in itself, but one aspect that stood out to me when I read about it was its ability to act as a “catalyst for social action.”

Reading this in the Japanese translation of the Swedish Original Awe Effekt by Katrin Sandberg and Sara Hammarkrantz made me think, “That’s exactly it!” This year, I plan to create opportunities for people to reflect on awe and experience it through online events and retreats, integrating the power of coaching. Stay tuned!

Here’s a sunrise from the 11 January:

Sunrise on 11 January

That morning, the sky looked cloudy when I peeked outside. Yet, something inside me whispered:

"Go watch the sunrise."

It was a gut feeling—intuition.

Another part of me resisted, saying, “It’s cold, and it looks cloudy; you probably won’t even see the sunrise.”

At that moment, I consciously decided to trust my intuition. Without overthinking it, I grabbed a scarf and jacket and stepped outside.

The sun is rising beyond the frost-covered park

The natural park I visited is a regular spot for walks and jogging, and I’ve taken hundreds of photos there—most of them at sunset. But that day, experiencing the energy of the place in the morning felt refreshing and new.

Later that afternoon, I returned to the same spot for a jog. The atmosphere was different from the morning, but I still breathed in the beauty of nature.

That night, as I journaled before bed, I reflected on how much I’d savoured the day. Starting with the awe of the sunrise and following my intuition had made all the difference.

Here’s another sunrise from 13 January:

Sunrise on 13 January

And on January 23rd, I captured this photo of the sunrise from a different location.

Sunrise on 23 January

I was walking home after dropping my car off for repairs at the garage.

"Living in tune with intuition."

This is a phrase I sometimes hear from clients during coaching sessions.

But what exactly is intuition?

What does it mean to live guided by intuition?

I first began reflecting on this question around 2018, when I started doing self-development work. The following year, as I began learning coaching, I often heard about intuition, but it still felt elusive and hard to grasp.

It’s only recently that I’ve started to experience intuition in a tangible way.

As I mentioned earlier, a gut feeling isn’t rooted in logic or reason. It’s more like an inner sense—a feeling that says, “This seems right,” or “This feels like the way to go.” It’s something you feel in your body.

As we approach the end of this first month of 2025, I’m committing to living this year more in tune with my intuition. I want to draw inspiration from the feeling of awe, acting on it without censoring or second-guessing myself.