
Luxury Living, Intro Series
I espouse a lifestyle and ethos that may surprise some of you. As a coach, it’s integral to how I approach goal setting with my clients. It may even ruffle some feathers to hear this but bear with me: the lifestyle-meets-philosophy is luxury living. I encourage my clients to set up their lives in this way, and it’s also integral to my personal experiences. I wouldn’t coach people on this if I didn’t fully live, breathe, and embody it.
Before you immediately roll your eyes in the assumption that this is a materialistic point of view, I’d challenge the assumption that luxury living only means Porches, spa days, and St. Barths… though it can. Let the snap judgment settle for a moment, then let’s take a step back. What is luxury living?
I’m excited to share this series on my blog about ways you can live luxuriously, why that is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. While luxury living can, and for many, does, include certain hallmarks of wealth, that’s not the point. From my perspective, luxury is something much more easily attained than you can imagine. Luxury Living is both everything you may assume it is and also much more. My philosophy, which may seem at odds with the definition of luxury, is to view it as a necessity rather than something superfluous. Many think that luxury is only for the very lucky and/or rich. But you can, with the right planning, create your own luxury lifestyle.
What I really mean by luxury living is setting yourself up for positive nourishment. Do you make enough money to have the option to nourish yourself? This can look like traveling, eating well, massages, belonging to a yoga studio, hiring a coach, etc. Not only is self-care a necessity in our modern times, but it’s something to prioritize. As Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” If you’re reading this, chances are you have a laptop, smartphone, and other technology at your fingertips. Just as you don’t question the need for a smartphone, you shouldn’t question your need for measures to keep you healthy, sane, and functioning at your optimum.
What exactly does it mean to live a luxury lifestyle? Firstly, it means shifting your perspective on what it means to deserve and prioritize your self-care. Second, it means setting things up so that you are financially able to choose to live this way with ease. There’s so much at play when it comes to how we spend our money on ourselves. If you feel that nervous flinch or have loads of guilt after a massage, you’re not living in line with a luxury lifestyle. I want my clients to be able to experience a dinner out where they can order whatever they want without having to stress over the price. Even for those with money in adulthood, a childhood of lack can still lead to this subconscious tightening up overspending, which is why this is about so much more than just money. How can you set yourself up to not just travel, but to finally stay at the eco-luxury resort you’ve been eyeing, instead of staying somewhere spartan and envying other travelers? How can you create a bank account and mindset that provides for your best experience of life?
It’s a shame people convolute the desire to live this way with being materialistic. In my practice and personal philosophy, a luxury lifestyle is NOT about being materialistic, but about having rich EXPERIENCES. And these rich experiences require money. If we succeed in our passions and skills we should be able to acquire a particular monetary standing in order to be able to live this lifestyle. I believe that everyone reading this can set themselves up to succeed at this level.
In the next series on luxury lifestyle, I’ll dive deeper into money. I’ve always had a low tolerance for bullshit when it comes to money. Unless you’re living off-grid or in a different societal structure, you need it. It’s nice to have it, and its absence causes people enormous amounts of stress. With money, we can give back, live with ease, and more easily leave a legacy, but more on that to come. Keep following for Luxury Living, volume 2!