Acquiring new tastes
We become what we choose to feed upon
For the second time in a week my friend Dean Sharp is the source of inspiration behind a post here at Being Human. This time it’s from a Facebook post he wrote titled, ‘Food and philosophy’ and it serves as a good follow-on to yesterday’s post on pursuing inspiration:
Do you know what I love about the phrase, “it’s an acquired taste”?
I love it because it’s true. You can indeed acquire a taste that you didn’t have before. And what that means to me is a reminder that I can stretch and grow and change. I can adapt and become someone I wasn’t before. It reminds me that if I don’t take care of myself I can get worse, and if I’m already worse it gives me hope that I can get better.
It really is true, we are what we eat. In every area of life we become what we choose to feed upon, whether in regard to diet, relationships, knowledge, perspectives, experiences, or anything else for that matter. Our bodies and souls only become hardened blocks of cement when we choose for them to be so. It’s not that we can’t change, it’s that we wall ourselves in from fear and therefore don’t change
So if any of this resonates, why not push yourself just a little more? Not to achieve more, but to become more. Broaden your horizons. Don’t go completely crazy, but go a little crazy. Do something uncharacteristic. Push the boundaries of you. Set out to acquire a new taste.
Life is too short and the world is too big to sip at it through a straw.
What are we feeding upon?
Are we gorging on quick and easy ready meals, or savouring delectable, homemade culinary delights? (And I’m not just talking about food here.)
When was the last time we tried something new?
When it comes to food, my wife will tell you I’m not very adventurous. Once I’ve found a dish I love at a particular restaurant, why wouldn’t I want to experience that again when we go back?
At the same time, I know it is a safe existence. And it means I miss out.
So I’m trying to get better at this.
But I can see how this applies to all of life. We gravitate to our favourite authors, singers, artists, journalists, filmmakers, and more. We find comfort in the familiarity. But, as with me and my food, we miss out.
We are never meant to stop acquiring new tastes. And sometimes, at first, the new taste will be off-putting. It’s unfamiliarity will tempt us to spit it out. But we have to resist. Give it a chance. Only then will we open ourselves up to the new.
We become what we feed upon in life, and if we stick to feeding on the same-old, same-old, our life will soon start to lose colour and even meaning. We are never meant to stop becoming and discovering.
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Image: Jay Wennington
