The seven wonders of the world are inside of you.
When we think of the wonders of the world, we think of something that humankind created in our rich and colorful history. But one must stop and compare the splendid works of our fellow humans to the perfection that only nature can compose: from a simple cell to the most complicated and sophisticated mechanism that we have – a human body with all its senses, a perfect mechanism designed to support life on our wonderful planet. According to Aristotle, there are five senses classified with our sensory organs: eyes, ears, mouth, mouth, skin and nose. The surprise is that there are not just five but actually seven wondrous senses!
Imagine you are walking along a beautiful valley, turning on all of your working senses: you feel the warmth of the shining sun and its calming rays; you hear the whispering sound of water and feel the dew on the wet grass is tickling your feet; you open your mouth to taste the sweet fresh air rushing into your lungs; you open your eyes and see all the vibrant colors of the meadow flowers as the scent of wet grass and sweet air lifts you to a world of wonder and fantasy; You feel, you hear, you smell, you move, you taste, you see and your whole being is alive!
The way we support our system will determine the way we create our reality and how we relate to others. If the system is balanced, it will carry us on our path of a fulfilled and rich life; but if we neglect it or delay the nurturing as we move along, the system will also delay the gratification. What happens then: it will sound the ‘alarm’, point to the ‘errors’ in the functionality of its whole mechanism, as nature is so well organized to pull the strings in the right direction.
It is up to us then to ‘reset’ the balance and re-create the harmony. When the system works, the outside world responds in the right way. We clean our homes; we look after our gardens, but very often we forget that our bodies are our life mechanisms. What we eat, think and do determines the way all our senses react and how we see the world.
The sense that is probably the most fascinating is the ‘sixth sense’, that is the one that warns us of danger. It is a knowing; an instinct about a person or situation. We also often have an awareness/premonition about something about to happen.
The seventh sense is one that cannot be measured, touched, tasted or seen, but the one that has the most power over us; the sense that some call love, or faith or God or anything that brings peace. This is the seventh wonder of the world. When one learns to live in harmony with it and finds contentment in the ‘little things’, one will be in complete harmony with the world and others in it.
In order to maintain our ‘seven wonders’, we can do simple things: go for a walk, as when you move, you will activate the sophisticated mechanism that releases many of our ‘good hormones’ to boost the immune system; talk with your friend, take your dog with you; listen to the music as the vibrations of the sound will also soothe your body and mind; share stories; laugh; we are social beings and we are wired to live together and support each other through contact and care. And smile more every day!
Tamara Mount is a psychologist, integrative nutritionist and holistic therapist living in the UK.