I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom. —Simone de Beauvoir
The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology went to scientists who discovered the intelligence of cells was not its nucleus, but its membrane. The cell membrane, it turns out, is the “brains” of the cell and is fully in charge of how it responds to its environment. It has its own aptitude about how to transport cargo in and out, when to release cargo it no longer needs, when and with whom it will dock with, and when to call in hormonal help. The discovery reveals that the cell membrane, not the nucleus, is the wonderfully precise intellect behind the import-export system. It impacts every possible condition of the cell including its ability to flourish or die.
Surely this extends to the human condition. There is a powerful wisdom in learning how to manage ourselves by having a protective and highly intelligent, semi-permeable membrane to our outside world. It allows us to make wise choices on how we respond to stress and curate love.
How can you apply this Nobel-worthy concept to your own life to make it more magnificent? Are you consumed with stress, besieged by unrelenting demands? Do you lack spaciousness in your life? Host revenge fantasies or allow corrosive relationships to eat away at you? Is your outer membrane going a good job of protecting your inner life?
You are fully in charge of your outer membrane, your thoughts, your feelings, your actions. For nearly every imaginable situation, there is a way out. To find another approach, identify an exceptional listener who can help you fortify your membrane and take command of your own transport system.
