The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style

 “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 

Discover the transformative concept of joyspan, defined as the years you enjoy living, as shared by gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight. Learn that joy is a skill to cultivate through daily choices rather than a mere goal. Explore the importance of emotional, cognitive, and physical health as pillars of longevity. Get practical tips for inviting joy into your life, from practicing gratitude to embracing fulfilling work. Plus, find out how joy boosts resilience, social bonds, and overall well-being.

"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 

Life as an art form takes center stage, encouraging listeners to savor daily experiences and embrace authenticity. The importance of enjoying one’s own company is explored, highlighting the balance between external desires and inner peace. Insights into emotional intelligence reveal how resisting reality can lead to unnecessary suffering. A semi-autobiographical Parisian tale inspires reflection, while evaluations of daily life promote personal growth. Compassion and community engagement are underscored as crucial elements of a meaningful existence.

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 

Delve into the transformative benefits of living alone, where solitude fosters self-discovery and personal growth. Discover the joys of independence, especially in the kitchen, while challenging traditional roles. Embrace mindfulness and the importance of supportive social networks to cultivate a fulfilling solitary lifestyle. Celebrate the unique experiences that come from choosing to live alone and find serenity in self-awareness. Plus, get excited about upcoming French Week offerings that enhance community engagement and culinary skills!

"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 

As we are in the middle of TSLL's 7th Annual British Week, I wanted to share with you 11 classic contemporary British wardrobe details for achieving effortless style. Each item and outfit shared below is not dependent on trends of the season, of which London is definitely at the forefront when it comes to embracing new and setting new trends. Rather, whether you live or simply visit Britain, whether you are staying in the city of London or stepping out into the countryside, these outfits and items can be relied upon to come together for a dependable style that will enable you to simply enjoy and engage fully with the day's activities. Over the years both here on the blog and the podcast, I have shared seasonal outfit and clothing item inspiration for Britain, but I realized, I haven't ever written a post solely inspired by British sartorial needs. France? Oodles of posts, but not Britain. So today, here is the much-overdue episode/post sharing the dependable wardrobe pieces and details that will guarantee you are feeling great in your outfit of choice. Let's take a look. Visit and Shop the Show Notes here on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast404 

Discover how integrating Buddhist psychology into daily life can cultivate contentment. The conversation emphasizes mindfulness as a tool for personal growth and understanding the connection between suffering and pain. Through actionable strategies, listeners are inspired to embrace self-awareness and compassion. Enjoy metaphors like gardening to illustrate tranquility and learn to navigate life with clarity. Additionally, practical tips on creating beautiful shade arrangements add a creative touch to the discussion.