Karen“Luxury to me is not about buying expensive things; it’s about living in a way where you appreciate things.”
-Oscar De La Renta
Contrary to what most people think, wealth is not a prerequisite for luxury. In fact, when people view luxury this way, it almost always eludes them. Yes, for some, luxury might include grand estates, dinners at five-star restaurants and exotic vacations, but I much prefer to think of luxury as Oscar De La Renta does.
Getting to sleep in for an extra couple of hours on the weekend…luxury. Picking apples with my family each September…luxury. A bowl of my mother’s homemade chicken soup when I’m not feeling well…you guessed it, luxury. None of those things cost a lot of money (some don’t cost anything at all), yet my appreciation of them raises them to the level of luxury.
The way to make life luxurious, then, is to live day by day and moment by moment in a state of joy and gratitude. Seek out beauty and pleasure each and every day. It may not always be easy, but as we search for things to be grateful for even when (perhaps especially when) times are tough, we build our capacity for joy and gratitude and, consequently, we attract more luxury.
Below is a list of 27 ways to bring more luxury into your life.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but my hope is that it will act as a springboard for you to explore your own ideas about what things/experiences fill you with joy and gratitude. Then, as we kick off the new year, we can all be mindful of “feeding” ourselves a steady diet of luxurious experiences.
27 Ways to Bring More Luxury Into Your Life
1. Believe you deserve it!
2. Eat quality food and stop when you are “elegantly satisfied”, not stuffed.
3. Watch the sunset.
4. Spend some time in nature each day (nature is full of luxurious gifts, if we make it a point to notice them).
5. Give yourself a little technology-free time each day.
6. Make taking care of your skin a self-care ritual.
7. Listen to music and sing along loudly and proudly.
8. Bring fresh flowers into your home.
9. Try one new recipe each week.
10. Take a bath with Epsom salts and a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
11. Invest in a good haircut.
12. Stop multitasking and bring more focus to everything that you do.
13. Find a cause you believe in and contribute some time or money to it (it doesn’t have to be a lot; contribute whatever is manageable for you). Generosity is extremely luxurious!
14. Stop complaining and stop hanging around people who complain.
15. Edit out of your life low-quality relationships, things and experiences.
16. Get a good night’s sleep.
17. Attend a performance of some sort and appreciate the beauty of seeing others engaged in their art.
18. Read something which nourishes your mind.
19. Enjoy a hot cup of something in front of a crackling fire.
20. Plant something in the ground and watch it grow.
21. Switch to natural cleaning products and begin to rid your home of chemicals.
22. Find a poem that you love and commit it to memory.
23. Buy a beautifully scented candle and light it each evening.
24. Buy less and let your spending reflect your values.
25. With no expectations, follow a curiosity of yours and see where it leads.
25. Have a picnic.
26. Find your signature scent and wear perfume each day.
27. Say “I love you” often.
As I’ve said many times, one of the things that brings me tremendous joy and gratitude is this blog and community. Thank you for reading and sharing this journey with me; connecting with you continues to be a true luxury for me!
xo,
Karen
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