"Art is a language without words." —Kate Bryan, author of How to Art: Bringing a Fancy Subject Down to Earth

Why art? Why bring it into our lives? Why spend our hard-earned money on it? We often hear about the skyrocketing headline-making prices of paintings being sold at auction, but what's the point of purchasing something if the entire reason is to accrue value to sell later?

The primary objective, Bryan shares, in writing this book, is to remove the assumed 'closed doors' or air of snobbery about art that she admits the art world itself has constructed. But, and she makes a strong argument, art, seeing it, appreciating it, making it, is part of being human. And to cordon it off, to claim that it is only a pastime for those with oodles of money or interest to acquire art of the upper echelons is preposterous.

You may be wondering, Why is Shannon talking about this subject? What does art have to do with living simply luxuriously? With living a life of true contentment?

It is precisely because true contentment is grounded in presence, seeing, clearing, and appreciating the everyday that the choice to bring art into our homes helps us savor each and every moment even more. When we bring works of art into our homes, we bring in a moment in the artist's life as they saw it. Their capturing of this ordinary moment in time, however they depict it, is a reminder that there is "beauty and marvels in the everyday". Even if we cannot or do not want to even try to be a literal artist, by gazing at their art, having it be present in our daily lives, we are continually reminded to see the gift in each day - to consciously look for it, take note of it without taking it for granted, and to savor it.

Today, I would like to encourage you to consider, if you haven't already, acquiring an art collection to display in your home. Of course, how and where you display it, most likely throughout your home, will be up to you. Conveying your tastes, interests, and values in what each work depicts reflects a collector who engages with life in the present and brings their self-knowledge and quiet confidence to what captures their eye.

Find the Show Notes on The Simply Luxurious Life blog https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast415

"The more you practice reflection and appreciation, the more you build a reservoir of evidence that you can draw from in difficult times. You start ot see patterns. You start to recognize that while life has its ups and downs, you have consistently found a way to navigate them. You start to trust yourself more deeply. And that trust—that bone-deep knowing that you can handle whatever comes—is the foundation of true inner peace." —Daniel Chidiac, author of Stop Letting Everything Affect You

What if I told you that your inner compass knows the way to your most fulfilling way of living is as certain as the sun rising tomorrow? Your immediate reaction to that truth reveals the strength of your self-trust muscle.

Since we will each never be able to live without unknowns, what we have to bring along with us on our life journey as companions are tools, each of which we must choose to learn, that will help us constructively navigate whatever may cross our path.

For example, suppose we're taking a road trip that leads over a mountain pass during winter. In that case, we will want to ensure the vehicle's tires are suitable for the conditions we may encounter, that the car's supplies are stocked for safety should we need them, and that the shoes we are wearing are sufficient should we need to step outside, among other things. You get the idea. We may never use all of them, but we will need to utilize some of them as preventative measures for success: a full tank of gas/a full electric charge, all-wheel drive, headlights, and windshield wipers.

We are the ones who choose the skills we carry with us on our journey. And if we choose to journey toward cultivating contentment so that we can enjoy the everydays and discover what ignites us, while also contributing to the world, self-trust is a must-have skill.

Today, we're going to explore how to tap into this perhaps unawakened skill, understand how it communicates with us, and how to strengthen it. Let's get started.

~View the full Show Notes for this episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast414

"The best use of money is a tool to leverage who you are, but never to define who you are."—Morgan Housel, author of The Art of Spending Money

If you ever want to know what a culture values, what a country values, look at their tax laws. I will never forget the wisdom shared by Martin Ginsberg, a tax attorney and the husband of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on how a country's subsidies reveal the guiding values of its populace through tax breaks or credits. I share this because, simply because it is the law, but that doesn't mean it needs to be the law that guides your life principles. Similarly, we see titles for the Richest person under 30, or a list of the world's billionaires on the cover of countless magazines each year, and again, they wouldn't create the list and place it on the cover if it didn't sell.

Yet again, the bustling culture projected in the media supports the culture they need to stay in business or to remain in office. This doesn't answer the question of what it means to live a fulfilling life—a life of contentment.

I start with this point because it would be understandable to mistakenly think that having more money, having the latest trend of décor, clothing, [fill in the blank for the latest trend of anything seen or discussed on social media, television, publications, etc.] is the path to a better life. But the truth is, there is no concrete formula, and your most successful approach to financial freedom, once you have learned the basics of money management, will be unique to your life journey and the lifestyle that nourishes you.

And there in lies the art of spending money.

As we know there are countless books on financial guidance, and having read many of them over the decades, there are constant contradictions, alongside worthwhile bits of wisdom and expertise. Often in the same book.

In today's episode/post, I am going to be pulling quotes from a recent book that was published, The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel, however, this books falls into that category I just mentioned. And my approach to extrapolating useful insights follows his own advice, have a strong filter. We'll talk about that more later the final point on this list, but essentially, apply critical thinking skills to any book you read, bringing to the table your previous experience and knowledge, so you can know with clarity what is worth grabbing and applying to your life and what is not.

Overarchingly, Housel offers an abundance of wisdom, much of which aligns with living a life of contentment, and that is why I wanted to bring you this list of how to finesse the art of spending.

"Money itself doesn't buy happiness, but it can help you find independence and purpose—both key ingredients for a happier life if you cultivate them." —Morgan Housel

How we choose to spend our money is personal, it is something we must make with an independent mind that is wise in knowing when we don't know something about our finances and to find experts in the fields we need to better understand.

With sound money management skills – budgeting, savings, retirement – topics that have each been discussed at length in the many posts found in TSLL's Money Archived posts, we can now explore how to best spend our money to live the life that supports, nourishes and brings us peace of mind. Let's explore 13 ways to do just that.

~Find the Show Notes for this episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast413

"You live a new life for every language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once." ―Czech proverb

Did you know that 92% of students in Europe learn another language in school, and nearly a quarter of Canadians can hold a conversation in both English and French. Roughly one out of every two people on the planet knows at least two languages, and three out of four humans don't speak English. (source: ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)

That may sound hyperbolic or pie-in-the-sky, but take a moment and consider what a democracy rests upon: civility, acceptance of differences, even if the majority rules, minority's rights are protected, along with a educated populous in vast fields of knowledge. These benefits, as we will talk about in more detail at the end of today's post, not only benefit the individual in the career and life pursuits, they also benefit the social and economic security of a democracy.

"Growth in the number of people speaking languages in addition to English creates new opportunities for greater cross-cultural understanding, and integrates different ideas and perspectives in ways that will improve democratic discourse." —The Century Foundation

As we get older, the argument is that it becomes more difficult to acquire a new language, and while that can be true, it depends more heavily upon the individual, their cognitive strength, the type of language they are learning (what Group level is it), as well as their awareness about what it takes to learn a new language. Yes, there will be challenges. Yes, you will be required to set aside your ego, and yes, it will take dedicated and consistent effort for at least 500 hours of learning to gain basic proficiency in a Grade I language (French and Spanish are included in this category). But the temporary stress is worth it for all that is gained.

"A man who is ignorant of foreign languages is also ignorant of his own language." ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Let's take a look four truths that are revealed about someone who chooses to learn a new language. Each worthwhile attributes that not coincidentally play fundamental roles in living a life of contentment.

Find the Show Notes for this episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast412

"Joy is the experience of contentment, gratitude, and meaning, regardless of our external circumstance. Joy is not simply feeling happy. Joy encompasses quality of life and the ability to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose . . . Joy, by definition, cannot be the goal." —Dr. Kerry Burnight, author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half

A mindset shift. A lifestyle choice.

Rather than 'choosing joy' a concept that is vast in its meaning as what brings one person joy will be different from another's, it is rather knowing how to cultivate joy. What we choose are the ways to bring more joy into our life.

What awesome news to discover that this is a choice we each have the opportunity to make, and in so doing, we welcome more quality into our life today and each day moving forward, as well as a longer life to savor.

Gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight defines the term joyspan as how many years you enjoy living. "The experience of psychological well-being and satisfaction in longevity."

In order to lengthen our joyspan, we need to know how to cultivate joy, and where to find it. The good news is, similar to contentment, we possess the capabilities within ourselves. We now just need to choose to put them to work.

Listen to the full episode, and find the detailed Show Notes here on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast411

"Just as we are wired to be in connection with each other, we are wired with an impulse to help, with an instinct for compassion." —Deb Dana, author of Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory

Empathy in action.

While to empathize with another is a good step, a step that acknowledges our shared humanity, it is when we are motivated to act to alleviate the suffering that it becomes compassion. This compassion we are going to talk about today is a gift we give others as much as we need to give it to ourselves.

Compassion is a choice, but it is a natural choice to choose and each time we do, along with being curious and honoring our true self, "daily living takes on a sense of expansion and possibility."

When we began this 7-part series at the first of the month, I shared with you the guiding axiom that defines who TSLL is written for: "The thinking and compassionate person's blog with everyday 'sides' of living well to savor." In Part One we talked about what being a 'thinking person' meant in the context of living simply luxuriously, and it was shared that 'thinking' goes hand-in-hand with being 'compassionate'. They are equally important.

Without compassion, we can learn all the skills and gain all the knowledge that would be helpful, but if we are only thinking, we become a robot, unfeeling, and unable to see the humanity, the sentient souls (any creature capable of feelings, sensations, and consciousness), that surround us, and are part of our world. We are also unable to honor our true self and reach our full potential.

When we pair being a thinking person with being compassionate, we are on the path to building a life of true contentment. Of grounding ourselves each day in an enduring peace that no matter what is swirling around outside of us, we can hold ourselves in this calm and choose a loving, constructive path forward. We then arrive on the other side of the unwanted moments with a conscience that is at peace.

Listen to the episode to explore further . . .

Find the Show Notes here - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast410

To look up the definition of art through an academic lens is to discover there is no one agreed upon definition of art, and to my eye that is what makes it all the more beautiful to cultivate in the way we live each of our lives if we are to heed the above quote's encouragement of action.

Earlier this week, a new series began here on TSLL that will explore and share Who TSLL is Written For? And What Lies at the Heart of Living Simply Luxuriously.

Part Une: We discussed what it means to be a 'Thinking Person' in the context of living simply luxuriously and how thinking works as a unit with being compassionate, something we will talk about in-depth in episode #410. The foundational premise is yep, we all have thoughts, that is part of being human, but it is in choosing to learn how to use our thoughts that will determine the quality of our life.

At the core of living a life that brings fulfillment, peace, and allows us to experience contentment throughout every day of our life is an original recipe for living, and for the purposes of looking at art as a way of living, that is one value of 'art' that is non-negotiable. Each of our lives will be unique, comprised of chosen details coupled with experiential details that we as the artist have consciously woven together to create a life that is art.

If we copy the lifestyle of someone else, if we mimic what 'fall in line' means when it comes to making choices because others have made them before us, we are a print, and something easily replicated, void of depth, created without courage or daring.

So, let's get into this episode.

Find the Show Notes at The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast409

The journey of learning anything new, putting in the hours, the practice, and progressing in a controlled environment eventually must make its way into the real-world to ensure any confidence we have gained is sound.

Over the past three years, as many TSLL riders and listeners of the podcast know, I enrolled in French language classes (12 in total) with Washington D.C.'s Alliance de Français through their online classes. Completing through FR 204 (B 1.3) in February of this year, I had met my goal and set about heading to France in March, not having been there since 2022 when upon returning home I enrolled in these classes. As a way to keep me focused, inspired and determined, I told myself to complete all 100 and 200 level classes before I could return.

My learning journey was shared in a 9-part series consisting of podcast episodes and blog posts, and you can view all of them here. Those posts/episodes include detailed grammar and vocabulary lessons and really step into the language learning process. Today's episode is less concrete French language conversation and more about the experience of being in France having the language more comfortably accessible in my cognitive toolbox.

Whether you are in the middle of your French language journey, just beginning or well-advanced along the road of proficiency, may today's episode convey reassurance that your investment of time and money will be worth your efforts in more ways than you might imagine possible.

Let's take a look at how the two week trip unfolded with the French language in use.

View the detailed Show Notes for episode #408 here - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast408

"'I think that's just how life panned out. I had children and it was difficult to have a relationship with a man who was not the father. And I started thinking, OK, I'll take care of the children and then when they're grown up, I'll be available for a partner. But then I found, I have to say, the great serenity of being single.'" She pauses, as if to savour the words. "'And if I hadn't, I don't think I would have been able to do all that I've done. I have freedom of movement.'"—Isabella Rossellini

When I recently read Isabella Rosselini's quote shared above about why she, initially unconsciously, and then consciously chosen to live alone, referring to not having a romantic partner, for over 30 years, I spontaneously found myself smiling in appreciation of her candor and openness to discovering the gifts that life wants to share with us if only we would let go of narrow constructs of how one's life must look.

The value we give our lives when we understand how to find serenity for ourselves, is revolutionary because we give ourselves the reins, or should I say the recipe, for exactly what will bring us peace.

The concept of serenity lies at the heart of what we feel when we are living a life of contentment. And as has been shared regularly here on TSLL, each of us will cultivate our life structure - relationships, responsibilities, rituals, routines, excursions, home life, etc. - differently to nurture ourselves well in order to be able to live, express and engage fully.

Too often no variation is given to certain ingredients in one's life in order to find or be at peace. If we do find peace without these purported to be 'must-have's, as Rosselini has demonstrated, society can gang up on us to pressure us or make us doubt our own inner truth. But whether or not to live with another person, specifically a romantic partner, is indeed a variable, not a constant, in the many variations available to us as we cultivate our unique life to discover where contentment resides.

Back in 2015, podcast episode #33 - How to Live Alone Well - was shared and included 16 approaches and benefits of doing so. While I won't repeat those benefits in this episode, and I encourage you to explore them, it is now ten years on, and as TSLL readers know, I continue to live alone by choice. A choice, a priority for living the life where and how I find true contentment. Of course, many listeners/readers who know me, know I am not really alone as I live with my pups and have done so for all but three years of my adult life. For me, this is also a choice because my dogs let me just be, and I have not yet found a human being who is comfortable with letting me just be. In other words, giving me freedom along with trust, so that the home that is a sanctuary is indeed that for all inhabitants. So today's episode will dive a bit deeper, sharing the joys of this way of living and savoring immensely everyday life - alone and delightfully so.

Briefly just alluded to - what you will notice as an intentional undercurrent in all of these joys shared today is freedom. When we give ourself the freedom to choose what is most nourishing and nutritive for our well-being, we step closer to living a life of contentment, if we aren't already. Ultimately, as we talked about in episode #403 - 10 Ways Integrating Buddhist Psychology into Your Everyday Life Cultivates Contentment - the core purpose of Buddhism is to bring deep healing, well-being and inner freedom.

So whether you are living alone by choice or by circumstance, the time you do live alone has the opportunity through this freedom to become intimately in tune with yourself so you can ascertain with clarity and self-trust how you want to live your life so that it is grounded in contentment.

Let's take a look at this list of 8 Joys of living alone.

Tune in to the episode and find the Show Notes here on TSLL blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast407

"Food need not be extravagant, complicated, or mysterious to be good. Quite the contrary." —Patricia Wells in her Introduction to Robert Olney's Simple French Food cookbook

Whether you love cooking, loathe cooking or fall anywhere in between, we all need to eat.

And if we eat well - a marriage of nutritive and delicious - we give ourself a very good shot at living a long and wonderful life. But we aren't born knowing how to cook. We have to choose to learn it, and depending upon our experience with food and the approach others took in how meals came together, we may have a whole host of beliefs about what constitutes good food, how to make it or why or why not we want to learn how to cook due to cultural expectations and pressures.

Similar to living a life of contentment, we cannot just go pull the skills of cooking off the shelf, but instead, we do have to invest some time, effort and initially some money (for the tools), but the money need not be much, and the time need not be terribly lengthy if we have the right teachers and ingredients.

Enter the French approach to cooking. The French have long been known for their prowess in the kitchen and with good reason. Auguste Escoffier began cooking at age 13 (1846-1935), and is known for both popularizing and modernizing traditional French cooking methods. You may recognize his name as it is often associated with The Ritz or with the five mother sauces. Rest assured, you do not need to know how to make these traditional French sauces to utilize the skills of the French approach to cooking. You may choose to learn all of them as you begin to find more enjoyment and reward with the basics that will be introduced to you today and further taught in TSLL's Introduction to French Cooking course for everyday deliciousness, but don't be intimated by the fanciness that often is paired with French food. Yes, it is fancy and beautiful and thoughtfully presented, but it is the creation that we are going to talk about today, and for everyday life, that is all you need to know.

So let's get started!

~Explore the detailed Show Notes on The Simply Luxurious Llife blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast406

"Love has the shape and feel of water. It is simultaneously flexible and powerful. It can adapt and roar; it can also be silently nourishing." –Yung Pueblo, How to Love Better

We know we need to heal when we slip into being defensive, reactive or regress into any self-protecting behavior - anger, aggressiveness - passive or active. When we cling to perfection at all costs, avoid emotions especially during difficult times, have co-dependent relationships (i.e are unable to be alone for any duration of time), agree to whatever is asked of us whether we are truly able to or not, crave external validation, are highly self-critical and never feel we are enough, the list goes on, but these are many of the more common everyday signs to take note of and thus feel a nudge to discover how to heal. (check out the full list here)

The love we seek, love that is liberating and simultaneously instills a feeling of being at home within yourself, feeling accepted for your full and amazing self that you are. A feeling of both being safe and also energized to explore, grow and discover new ahas, begins with being loving to ourselves.

Without loving who we are, which requires that we truly know who we are, we cannot build a loving relationship with others, any type of relationship, not just romantic.

Today's episode is inspired by a new book written by Yung Pueblo, How to Love Better: The Path to Deeper Connection Through Growth, Kindness, and Compassion. A book that he shares is about romantic relationships, but all that he shares can be applied to any relationship. Knowing this, I began to read it, and the first half of the book, ironically and wisely, is not about other relationships at all. It is all about the relationship between yourself and you, how to thrive and thus how to heal so that you can be loving to yourself and then loving to others.

If any of the items in the list shared above spoke to you or you recognized them in your patterns of how you live life currently and you want to change, you want to grow out of them and understand why you default to them, then this is the episode for you. Let's heal, and then let's learn how to assess whether we've healed or not.

Find the Show Notes for episode #405 on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast405