Parts Unknown with apologies to Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain travelled the world, showing us food, life and adventures. I loved his far-flung travels, the simplicity of his culinary finds. He had a tried and tested recipe, his ability to unite us over a plastic chair and a shared delight in food. Watching an episode of Parts Unknown got me thinking about the wild ride that self-discovery can be. Self-discovery is such a juicy adventure, new discoveries are possible, without ever having to leave for foreign shores.

Discovering the spiciness, jaggery or molten quality of hidden or unknown facets of your psyche, might be the biggest find of your life. Learning to sit down with yourself on a tiny plastic chair in the midst of the chaos of the world and taking the time to savour your unique take on life is invaluable and the key to self-mastery.

So often we think we know ourselves, yet when we encounter conflict, discord, change, catastrophes, break ups, relocations, deaths, births, new opportunities, new relationships, we can surprise ourselves with unexpected behaviours or disappoint ourselves with familiar old traits.

These behaviours have the acidity of a lemon, the granularity of sugar, the tartness of vinegar or the warmth and complexity of umami. Yet, how often do we sit with ourselves to understand our responses? This is where the adventure is. The locus of control is within you. It’s your response to the world that creates your world. That response is shaped by your insights, your level of self-awareness, your choice of interaction. Within that, like the layers of an onion, is why you choose to behave in certain ways. Whether your response to life is chilli, vanilla, semi freddo or frozen, it’s your recipe. Perhaps you have had enough of raw, burnt or stale food. Finding what recipe works for you, is what makes life palatable. Be open to parts unknown and #Therapy helps.