With social media influencers continually showing us how wonderful life is for them,
We can feel a little hard done by when we watch them flying off to an exotic location for an amazing holiday,
And then enjoying the luxury of staying in a five-star hotel being waited on morning,
Noon and night,
Followed by wearing the most amazing clothes which they have spent more than our weekly wage on.
But all this costs money,
A lot of money which many of us don't have to spend on these type of luxuries,
And instead of finding ourselves feeling really pleased and happy,
We find ourselves wishing,
Hoping and longing for the day to magically arrive when we too will have more money than we currently only dream about having to spend as we like on luxuries.
Hello,
My name is Jacqueline and welcome to my Tranquil Spirits podcast.
Endless scrolling seems to be the norm for most people nowadays and being shown lives we may feel envious of is a usual part of a day's viewing.
When we think of luxuries,
Many of us believe they will cost heaps of money and we may also believe them to be out of our reach.
But for the majority of the population,
This isn't normal life.
Living a life of luxury isn't only about having loads of money to spend,
That's what social media has led us to believe.
Depending on how we look at luxuries,
They can be found in the simpler things life has to offer.
We can,
And often do,
Fill our lives with luxuries every day and not just on certain occasions when our bank balance allows us to.
Here are my kind of feel-good luxuries,
Many of which money can't buy.
Start the day right.
I like to wake up early for quiet time to reflect on what I have achieved and what I am going to achieve in the new day ahead.
And having that first cup of tea in the morning makes me smile and feel good.
Listening to the birds sing makes me thankful for being alive and I feel ready to start the day.
Opening my curtains for sunlight to brighten my mood.
I find doing this first thing really does brighten my mood,
No matter the day outside.
It tells my body the day has begun and I am always excited for the surprises the day has to offer.
Stretch deeply for several minutes to ease tension.
Getting the body moving first thing not only makes me feel good,
It also awakens my body in a positive way.
It's amazing how getting the blood flowing activates the brain to achieve goals for the day.
Stretching is also a great thing to do during the day,
Especially if I have been sitting for a while or even if I feel a little dull and unenthusiastic,
Moving my body really can ignite motivation.
Walk barefoot on fresh grass to feel grounded.
Being outside is wonderful for all our senses,
But actually feeling the grass between our toes is so comforting,
Probably because we don't tend to do it often enough.
Similarly,
When at the beach,
Allowing the sand to fall through our toes is also a feeling like no other,
And for me it takes me back to my childhood and ignites the feeling of letting go of all worries.
Breathing with intention when outside in nature is also stimulating and for me feels invigorating and totally energising.
Call someone for a meaningful conversation to reconnect.
Not to chat and bicker about life,
But just to be happy and make each other smile.
All too often people are quick to judge others and complain about what others have and that they are lacking in their life,
But taking time to appreciate each other and allowing others just to be themselves without judgement makes for a calmer,
More appreciative life.
Listen to favourite songs to boost happiness.
Playing music when I am doing housework or cooking really does make me feel good.
Certain songs just make me want to dance around with joy and other songs make me sing like I've become the best pop star in the world,
Yet to be discovered.
And music can take us to so many places,
Some exotic and some simply magical.
A taste of luxury,
No matter where we are.
Organise a get-together with extended family.
A time to catch up for no reason other than to be together.
I don't know about you,
But my extended family – cousins,
Aunts and uncles – tend to only get together for weddings,
Christenings and funerals and more often than not these can be years apart.
So what would be better is finding a day in the year which suits most family members and make it a yearly event to all come together and reconnect for no reason other than to be together.
Put fresh sheets on your bed.
I don't know why it is,
But this to me is pure luxury.
Slipping between clean sheets is such a magical feeling and I always seem to have the best night's sleep when I've done this.
Do you have the same feeling with clean sheets on your bed?
Take a long bath or shower to deeply relax.
Allowing the water to wash over us really does wash away the stresses and tension of a busy day and replaces with a feeling of relaxation and calmness.
The luxury of doing this almost any time of day is priceless.
But taking a relaxing shower just before bed or enjoying a long warm soak in the bath with candles and soft music really is priceless.
Stop to watch the sunset to slow down.
Whether it is a sunset or a sunrise you get to experience,
It truly is one of those magical moments as it doesn't stay around for long.
Just appreciating this wonderful sight truly warms my heart and is a sight I never tire of experiencing.
I have seen more sunsets and sunrises than I can remember but each one has never disappointed.
A gift from nature money cannot buy.
And my final one here is spend time watching the stars.
Another truly magical time is looking at the abundance of sparkling lights in the sky.
It's hard to get my head around how many there are and even more so how far away they are.
Spotting the different constellations and even just simply making a wish or two warms my heart and fills me with comforting smiles,
Something I love to share with others.
There are many other things I could share with you here and I have no doubt you have many of your own you could share with me.
But ultimately we can now appreciate that living in luxury isn't just about having the things which cost a fortune that we see on social media and that will probably only make us happy in the moment or for a while.
It's about appreciating all that we have in the here and now.
The small things and the big things which we have worked hard for.
Experiencing feelings of joy as often as we can and surrounding ourselves with people who want the best for us without judgement.
So instead of longing for the things you don't have and believing if you had them that is only when you will be happy,
Live in the moment and enjoy the luxuries you already have around you.
Your amazing body,
Your beating heart,
The people who love you,
The air that you breathe,
Water flowing from the tap,
The first cup of tea or coffee in the morning or whatever life looks like for you.
And the more we can practice gratitude the more things we realise we have which are luxuries money can't buy.
I hope you have found something useful in this podcast.
Have a beautiful day,
You deserve it and remember always follow that dream because being happy doesn't mean you have it all.
It simply means you are thankful for all that you have.
Thanks for listening and I will speak to you again soon on my next Tranquil Spirits podcast.
Bye for now.
