The Texture of Life
Humanity is losing the appreciation for the texture of life. Experiences are mostly lived through the eye, taste, or the ear, the three easiest channels to deceive. We are most susceptible to deceit through these openings — the overstimulation of images, MSG, unproductive thoughts, and words that lack coherence plague the modern world. We have become vessels carrying fragmented information, living life in the shadow of confusion. A continuous state of disorder. Not the temporary confusion that comes while solving a difficult problem, but a negligent confusion where we pile useless knowledge on top of our lack of understanding to bring us comfort.
Focus on Feeling
It is much more difficult to deceive with textures. It requires a lot more craftsmanship to fool someone with how something feels to them. It takes exceptional skill to make faux leather feel like genuine leather, but there will always be a difference. A creation cannot be what it is not. The moment you bite into a fork full of cake, there is a detection of soft bread, moisture, sweet icing, hidden ingredients like nutmeg, vanilla extract, and pecans in a carrot cake. Someone can tell you a cake is a cake, and they could be extremely persuasive, but when you cut into it and bite it, that is when you can be a better judge. Through the feel of it physically and how the ingredients interact with your palate, you can affirm yourself, whether it is the real deal or a poor attempt. It is with this level of activity and precision that we should live life. The famous interior designer Axel Vervoordt (in pop culture, he is most known for designing Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s new home) often says in reference to the beauty of life, “it’s much more about what you feel than what you see.”
Everything is Connected
Life may seem fragmented, but it’s not. Everything is connected. It’s all cohesive. This cohesion becomes undetectable when we lose our sense of spirit. When we allow the ego to flourish and see the individual as separate from the whole. This is what happened to Adam and Eve with the tree of knowledge. The sacrifice of true oneness for the feeling of individuality, separation, and placement of oneself on a pedestal higher than nature. Humanity was given the duty to be stewards of nature, not dictators. We are supposed to be managers who are one with the field, not managers who deprive it for our personal gain. We should be living with nature romantically yet seriously. Appreciating its beauty and the many enhancements it brings to our lives. When I refer to nature, I don’t just mean the trees, animals, and oceans; I mean people as well. There is a natural connection that binds us, the chemistry of expression and love. We should get back to focusing on the feel of life, appreciating every experience as a part of a magnificent whole. The same way we appreciate beautiful architecture, a warm smile from a passing stranger, or enjoy our favorite meal.
Be Present
We can only enjoy the richness in every part of life if we are present. When we are present, the feel of things becomes more pronounced, more detailed. We deeply connect with the experience to the point where we are moved far beyond what we see or hear. Reduce the noise, reduce the stimulation, the images, the conversations. Just be. It is in being that you uncover the truth of who you are and your purpose as a member of the cosmic whole. Just be. As Ryan Holiday quotes in Stillness is the Key, “We are human BEINGS, not human doings.” To get the best out of life, we have to feel its texture.
Question for Reflection:
If your life had a texture, what would it be?
