The Wonder of You

This blog just scratches the surface of the amazing wonder of you. Please feel free to message or leave a comment online at the end of the blog. Share your experience and tell me what sense you would miss the most, or perhaps do already. Your comments are always welcome.

The hardest working muscle in the body is your heart, daily pumping thousands of litres of blood, kicking you into gear, into action. Heart beating. Blood flowing. Brain thinking. Body moving.

It’s the core of our being, a muscle that keeps you alive, thus usually giving you access to the five basic senses – smell, taste, sight, sound and touch. There are more. However, let’s think about these five and try to imagine our lives without them.

We live in a sensory world and these five senses make it more vivid. For many people losing their sense of smell and taste is an indication of having COVID 19, a new occurrence for them.

Not being able to see the faces of your loved ones, or the magnificence of the world is difficult to comprehend. You may have a mental image which helps, unless you were born without sight.

Not being able to hear sounds, laughter, words spoken, feel the tender touch of loved ones, dance to the rhythm of life, is a different scenario, one which demands inner strength and determination. The same applies to any of the senses we’ve been graced with.

You can’t see your heart work, but it is, just as you can’t see your thoughts unless you’re transcribing them into action. Your heart keeps you alive. Look after it and never take all it does for granted. Fill it with love and live your life thoughtfully and with care. Make every heartbeat meaningful.

SIGHT

Seeing the look of adoration in your partner’s eyes when his or her gaze rests on your face is awesome. Your heart is filled with joy and you feel energized. Seeing the look of love on your child’s face when he or she strokes your face gently, makes your heart melt.

Dogs offer unconditional love, their ‘puppy-love’ eyes will soothe you. Many countries allow Therapy dogs, regardless of where you live and with the appropriate ESA letter (emotional support animal), you can even take them on flights.

Seeing the flowers bloom in spring fills you with hope. The trees once again dressed in their finery of many shades of green. New growth, new season.

SOUND

The sound of laughter fills our world with joy, uplifting one’s spirits.

The sound of music brings you to a place of serenity, or makes you dance. Your special song can bring back wonderful memories of a person or place. The sound of rain on the window-pane is soothing, nature quelling the thirst of the

plant world. If only it could quell the thirst of millions who need clean water. A loved one’s voice saying those three magical words – I love you. Our ability to hear sounds and translate them into images is magical. Close your eyes and imbibe the sensation.

SMELL

It’s no wonder there are so many perfumes on sale. Chanel No 5, is still the favourite. A friend told me it reminded her of her mother. Precious. Other scents evoke similar emotions and memories.

Something as simple as the smell of baking can make you smile, or the whiff of chocolate as you pass by your favourite chocolatier.

The smell of Christmas – cinnamon and other spices. Tie a few cinnamon sticks with ribbon and hang them up and imbibe that aroma all year around.

A bouquet of flowers is a wonderful gift. Inhale their beautiful scent and let your eyes meet those of your loved one, brimming over with total love.

TASTE

Relish the flavour of spices in your favourite curry and your ability to differentiate each one, in anticipation of that first taste. After fasting, be it for spiritual or health reasons, our sense of taste is heightened. How many of you close your eyes when your taste buds react to flavoursome food? It’s almost an automatic response.

The flavour of chocolate as it melts on your tongue, the sweetness of fruit, or perhaps the acidity of grapefruit that makes you blink. Sweet, sour, salty, savoury, a great combination of sense explosions on your tongue.

TOUCH

Hand in hand, be it with your loved one or child, that touch creates a bond of pure love. Cheek to Cheek, Fred Astaire’s iconic song says it all. A heartbeat of recognition and the whole world stops turning, your worries fade away.

The touch of soft material on your skin is comforting, or when shopping for clothing, although your eyes are attracted by colour, your hands reach out to touch and feel the material.

As the sun’s rays reach out and caress your skin, especially after a cold spell, you close your eyes and smile. And the flowers bloom just for you and the whole world lights up.

BALANCE AND SENSE OF SPACE

Watch a child’s first steps and usually they hold their arms out to help them balance. Soon they are walking confidently, with an instinctive knowledge that allows them to avoid bumping into objects or people. They spin and run and jump and climb. Seeing small children run just for fun is awesome.

When we lose our sense of balance, we must rethink the physical journey we are on and may need support. Our sense of spatial awareness is skewed, but we adjust and find a way forward. The human spirit is strong.

Most of us can touch our nose with our eyes closed, sense what our limbs are doing. So many people are born with conditions that rob them of some, if not all of these senses, or an accident alters what they could do previously, changing their world.

MY PERSONAL ADDITIONAL SENSES

BEING SELFISH

This is important. It’s about looking after your Self. So often we’re admonished about being selfish. Ok, I agree that eating all the cake and not sharing it is selfish or just downright greedy.

Putting yourself first is selfish in a good way. It puts you in a place of strength where you can lead others forward. Being selfish with your time enables you to recharge and therefore work more efficiently which in essence helps your co-workers or family.

Ensure being Selfish makes you healthy, wealthy and wise by taking care of your physical and mental health and the rest follows.

SENSE OF SELF-BELIEF

Do you believe that your legs work, that you can walk? Do you believe that you can shower, dress and gulp down a cup of coffee, less than 30 minutes before heading out the door? Of course you do. You don’t think about any of this. Automatic actions get you through the day.

Having a strong sense of self-belief should equally be automatic. Focus on what you do well. Focus on your skills and talents. Look in the mirror and smile whilst saying – ‘I believe in myself’. This is not vanity. It’s the mental fuel you need to do your work well and efficiently. Believing in Self is a fine-tuning of the internal motor that ensures you’re on track and stay on track. Self-belief is your strongest weapon in life. Pair it with honesty and kindness and live the Best Version of Yourself.