Coming to Your Senses

by Fran Withrow 11.2024

Live in the present moment. Be mindful. Be grateful. Be appreciative. These seem to be today’s catchphrases, but just how does one go about doing that? It’s easy to coast along through life without really paying attention, just as Gretchen Rubin was doing until her ophthalmologist told her she was at high risk of retinal detachment, an eye disorder that, if not treated quickly, can cause loss of vision and blindness.

Alarmed, Rubin left the doctor’s office keenly aware of the “sensations streaming through” her, and that realization led her to resolve to live more deeply through her five “big” senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Her beautiful journey delving into how the five senses can make us more grounded, happy, and thankful became “Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.”

Rubin goes full-tilt into her exploration. She begins with sight, and she notes that even little things can make a difference. She fills a bowl with objects all of one hue and buys colorful markers. She talks to an artist for tips on how to see artwork better. She rearranges her New York apartment to create a more beautiful aesthetic.

When she focuses on hearing, Rubin works to listen to others better. I love her “Manifesto for Listening,” which includes such gems as “Stow my phone,” “Don’t rush to fill a silence,” and “When in doubt, stop talking.” She takes a wine-tasting class and comes away with a more nuanced sense of smell. And she hosts a taste party to help people share memories of beloved childhood dishes.

As part of her investigation, Rubin also visits the New York Metropolitan Museum on a daily basis. She wanders through the Met, experiencing artwork through the lens of the sense she is immersed in at that time. And instead of becoming bored with her daily trek, she discovers that the senses give her a deeper understanding of and gratitude for all that is around her.

Hmm. As I read Rubin’s words, I thought about how to incorporate more gratefulness and awareness in my own life through the five senses. What if I paid attention—really paid attention— to the sense of sight on my daily walk? When I did so, I discovered that the reason I love certain streets is because of how gloriously the oak tree branches lining the road dip toward each other, creating a dappled green canopy above me. Rubin is on to something, I thought.

One day, a friend once told me, it will be the last time you do something. The last time you nurse your baby, take your child to school, hold your partner’s hand, eat your favorite meal. The last time you stand up. And the last time you lie down. 

Our lives are speeding by, but right now we can increase our awareness of every moment. This book shows us a simple yet profound way to go about that. Rubin’s book invites us to fall in love with our life, our one beautiful, marvelous life.

Our life in five senses.