Slow Life Down Without Being Less Busy

“It was worth flying from Japan, just to hear you say that,”  international perfumer Junji Hamano said to me after our conversation. Yesterday was no ordinary day. 

One of the many things blogging has done for me is open up opportunities to discover great products and meet people I may have otherwise not come across. Thanks to Brenda from The Mother Media and Procter & Gamble, I flew down to visit Sydney for the day to preview new household care products coming to Australia. I can’t share everything that was talked about because some products are yet to be launched, but what I do want to talk about is my conversation with Junji Hamano, international perfumer from Procter & Gamble.

It’s obviously Junji Hamano is passionate about his work.  He’s called “The Nose”, and for good reason: He was able to guess Mrs Woog’s perfume!  As I listened to him speak, I felt excited — because I got it.  I understood the concept he was conveying. When Junji created the fragrances for the new Ambi-Pur Air Effectsrange, he wanted to tell a story, not purely provide a scent. To create this image — a moment if you will — with scent, he starts with a picture in his mind of a scene.  The scent then comes in layers (basenotes) so it tells the story. First the cinnamon and orange hit you, then the subtle tones of vanilla and jasmine, and lastly the richness of sandalwood and amber. Such a beautiful way to create atmosphere in the home.

It’s true I’m excited about the Ambi-Pur Air Effects air freshener, but what I’m more excited about is the conversation I had later with Junji. Many of the Love the Moment Challenges surround the five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing. These five senses translate into Love the Moment moments like looking for butterflies, feeling the bark of a tree, sharing an ice-cream, breathing in the fragrance of a flower, acknowledging the wind as it weaves through your hair and listening to a child’s laugh. You see, our senses are always working but we often don’t take the time to, first acknowledge them, and secondly experience them.  For me, this is partly because of the busy life I lead. 

Acknowledging moments and experiences has, in a way, slowed my life down without the need to be “less busy” and also brought a richness by “seeing” the beauty of life around me.  There’s just so much to enjoy.

I said to Junji, “I get it! I understand the story! I understand the role our senses have to play in our subconscious, and their ability to create a story, where we are.”

Yesterday was no ordinary day.  It confirmed to me the importance of remembering my God-given senses, and looking for ways to experience the beauty all around me.

Try it: For a day, be alert to your senses and see if your busy life seems just a little bit slower.

Love the Moment

To end, here are a few snaps from the day.

I certainly enjoyed using my sense of taste thanks to Peter Kuruvita, Celebrity Chief from the Flying Fish Restaurant. Amazing food! Seriously, go there.

1. Enjoyed flying down with sweet Naomi from Seven Cherubs.

2. Eden from Edenland has the best red hair.

3. With the charming Shannon Frickle, television personality, author, mum of two and blogger.

4. Want to know what a room full of Twitterers (Twits?) look like? L to R: @WoogsWorld @MyLittleDrummer @GoodGoogs @EdenLand @TinaGrayDotMe @EmmasBrain @Holly_Homaker @FillyHills @AllConsuming

Note: I was not paid, or commissioned to write this post. I am purely sharing my excitement from the day and what I learned.

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Love the Moment Challenges