Not all genes are the same. Those who decided the colour of your eyes expressed themselves without you being able to ‘negotiate’ with them. Others, on the other hand, express or silence themselves in response to the information they receive from the outside world. And over most of it, fortunately, you do have control.
Genes are not a life sentence
Even if you were born with a particular genetic sequence, which will accompany you your entire life, you have the power to influence its expression: epigenetics is the brand-new science that is currently trying to elucidate how environmental factors modulate the gene expression.
Yes, the environment influences the genes in the same way that the pianist influences the sound of a melody. Love Story does not sound the same if I play it or if Richard Clayderman plays it. No.
Your genetic sequence hardly differs from mine. And it is basically identical to the one you had at birth, when the genes that expressed themselves stimulated your cells to divide so your body could grow. What do vary are the positions of the chemical labels that tell your genes whether or not they should express. And these tags are placed in one place or another in your DNA sequence according to the information your cells receive from the outside. This means that you can minimize (and even completely avoid) a genetic tendency to Alzheimer’s, cancer, or depression (and a myriad of other illnesses) with your daily choices.
Unfortunately, you cannot control all the environmental factors that will make you more or less inclined to enjoy unbeatable vigor and health for life, but you can minimize your exposure to toxins, get some exercise, nourish yourself according to your genes, hug more trees, learn to actively manage stress, prioritize your sleep and say ‘I love you’ more often, especially to that beautiful being who looks at you from the mirror.
And the pianist who sits on your piano will be able to play the best version of your own melody.
