PS- I don’t cook!
A few years ago I was living a life that wasn’t who I was. I was basically living the expected, traditional life not unlike the one I grew up in; and I confess that there were times that I would ask myself, “Is this it?”…“Is this all that my life will be?”…and then I remember thinking, and wishing, that it would go by quickly.
That thought is something that I often think about because it goes so completely against who I am. I was obviously living a life I wasn’t meant to live. Instead, I was living the life I was raised to live. My life needed to be spiced. And yes, I like spicy food too!
The other day I went to my favorite Indian restaurant in Miami. I ordered my favorite meal… Tandoori Chicken Tikka and Mushroom Makhani…and the waiter asked, “How spicy would you like it?”. Hahaha…Loaded question! Of course he was talking about the food; but it got me thinking. What are the spices in my life ? What makes life delicious? What spice makes life interesting? Which spice makes it different? Because life can be bland…therefore boring!
Just like Indian food may not be for everyone, different people like different levels of spice. The same its true for life.
Talking spices…I know the six key spices that add flavor to my life; these are Adventure, Change, Laughter, Music, Love, and Passion.
Adventure is the surprise ingredient. The one spice you can’t really pin point sometimes. This involves letting unplanned things happen. Saying yes instead of no to opportunities when they come knocking at my door. It means experiencing the new, the unseen, the unfelt, the beautiful, the adrenaline. To me it definitely involves traveling. Testing my limits and facing my fears.
Change is probably the most important of all the spices. There will always be constants in life…and they can be comforting to an extent…but if you want to kill me…put me in a routine. Routine makes one predictable and where is the fun on being predictable? On knowing what will happen next? Well…change is inevitable. We humans believe we are in control of our lives when in reality there is no such thing. Change will hit you when you least expect it. How we deal with changes that are forced upon us varies from person to person…just like levels of spice in Indian food. I personally spoon it into my life!
Laughter! This is the salt. Without it the food will be bland.
Laughter creates endorphins. I think that the most important thing in relationships is the ability to laugh together. More important than anything else! The moment that laughter stops…it no longer feels right. A sense of humor is the key to a happy life. Life is a comedy after all. Being able to see the funny side of life is primordial to spicing it up. If you take the time to look around you will see the funny all around you!
Music has the ability to transport you to a memory…just like flavors do as well. It has the ability to soothe you. It feeds your soul. It can make you dance. It will make you sing. It has the power to unite strangers on a common ground.
I must say that my life without music would be incomprehensible. I love it when it feels that the song is speaking to me directly.
LOVE is the cooking pan…not possible to cook without it. Love is like the blanket on a cold day. It’s home. It’s good friends. It’s family. It’s the safety net… the safe harbor. The most powerful words in the world…I love you. Those words can change a life.
Passion is the energy…it’s the hot spice…it’s the heat. Life without passion is like eating cold eggs. It is a lucky he or she that is able to find their passions early in life. I have a son that is passionate about his work. It seemed to me that he is working all the time, so I said to him “Gosh, I hope that you are taking time to enjoy your life…be with friends…have fun…blah blah…because all work and no play…blah blah…”…he calmly said to me, “Mom, what you don’t seem to realize is that that is when I am the happiest, is what I enjoy most above everything…I am having fun when I am working…it is my passion.” I stand corrected.
Our passions bring purpose to our lives. This quote from the book The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, illustrates it…“Remember that wherever your heart is there you will find your treasure”. We must find what we love with all our heart.
Passion really is the fire that heats, melts, and blends all the spices together.
I passionately hope you’ve found it. 😊
