Take time to enjoy the roses! Yes, it’s an old cliche but the more I live, the more I have come to recognize these familiar words as sage advice, when living in a hectic world.
Our body and brain together, create something called sense memory. It’s when we are prompted to remember moments from the past, as well as various emotions based on experiencing (through our senses) some familiar stimuli. Remember the five senses? Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching??… Well those are the ways in which we experience people places and things. These senses deeply shape how we form perceptions, opinions and even memories about a particular person, place or thing. For example, if I were to mention your grandmother…Instantly, you see her, perhaps you can even imagine her scent, the texture of her hand, the sound of her voice, etc. That’s sense memory at work.
So often we go through life often letting it shape us instead of intentionally seeking to shape it (at least in the areas where we do have some control). I’ve come to realize that creating a life that pleases my senses is a way that I can create a profound impact on my day-to-day happiness. So, I consciously saturate my environment with things I enjoy:
–Seeing – My home, wardrobe, destinations and even entertainment activities all include things that I find pleasing to the eye.
–Hearing – I often choose to listen to music, sermons, even conversations that feed my soul.
–Smelling – I’m known for having candles and fresh fragrant flowers everywhere.
–Tasting – Whether at home or out on the town, it better taste good! Even when I’m really trying to eat healthy, I try my best not to sacrifice flavor.
– Touching – I love textures. They excite the senses. In my home and wardrobe, I like to make a statement by mixing and blending contrasting textiles. When I look at nature, God certainly mixed things up!
I’ve just found that living my life this way brings an added sense of meaning and joy not only to me but to my loved ones as well. The bonus is that it has filled our lives with rich moments and lavish memories.
No comments:
Post a Comment