The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style
Education:Self-Improvement
"We are not born with the secret of how to live [well], and too many of us never learn it. There is nothing cold-blooded or mechanical about it, but there are many things we have to learn to do . . . the first thing is to realize we've probably been looking in the wrong place. The source is not outside us; it is within." —Mildred Newman & Bernard Berkowitz, authors of How to Be Your Own Best Friend
Befriend yourself and you have a friend for life.
This simple saying, often expressed, while true, is often not understood as to how it can be possible. But the most awesome news I want to share with you today is that you have had the answers to so much of the peace, calm, and clarity you have been seeking traveling within you all this time. How to tap into and what exactly are you looking for? That is what we are going to talk about today.
Inspired by a book that was written in 1971 Mildred Newman and her husband, both psychologists, Bernard Berkowitz, the title was originally How To be Your Own Best Friend: A Conversation With Two Psychoanalysts. Consisting of only 74 pages, their insights are shared, as this title suggests, in conversation form - questions followed by answers.
While little known when the couple originally self-published, it was with the help of author, screenwriter and director Nora Ephron, who upon reading the book quite liked it so she introduced the authors to her book agent upon which it then became a national bestseller (learn more about how she helped in this article published earlier this year). Picking up my own copy and zooming through it, I found common sense advice, grounded in approachable guidance sharing reminders and nudges of how we can help ourselves out but often are too timid to do so due to a variety of cultural circumstances and pressures.
As I read, the overlap of choosing to be your best friend and finding and experiencing contentment quickly became apparent, and having just wrapped up producing all of the filmed lessons for TSLL's Contentment Masterclass, as you will discover when you enroll, knowing ourselves and honoring what we find to be true for ourselves resides at the core of a fulfilling life. In the words of the authors, becoming our best friend is sage wisdom to follow. However, what does that look like? Being our own best friend? That's what I want to share with you today and the benefits of doing so.
Let's get started.
View the Show Notes on the blog: https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast379
381: The Power of the Clarity of Our Intention AND Where We Direct Our Attention: Understanding Our Mind
380: How Rituals Enrich Our Lives IF We Choose and Engage with Intention
378: Choose to Compost Your Past: How the Arrival of the Spring Season is a Metaphor for Life
377: The Slow Productivity Approach that will Elevate the Quality of Your Entire Life, as taught by Cal Newport
376: Wise Investments: Understand the Difference between a Good Value and a Good Deal
375: How to Become a More Skilled Participant in the Living of Our Life
374: What I Have Learned in French Class, So Far - part sept (7)
373: How to Nourish Your Creative Being: Cultivate An Artistic Hearth & Home
372: Simple Rituals to Enhance the Everyday and the 5 Characteristics of Simply Luxurious Rituals
371: Savoring A Quiet Christmas — Simple, Yet Significant
370: Savoring the Many Benefits of Being Single at Heart, my talk with author Dr. Bella DePaulo
369: How to Make Your Everyday Taste Better (11 Ideas)
368: What is a Simple Sophisticate? The 14 Characteristics
367: How to Create Décor that Welcomes & Comforts: How to Embrace the Ethos of Slow Decorating
366: My First-Hand Travel Tips for Flying Internationally to and Arriving in Britain with Ease and Comfort
365: How to Have Good Taste when it Comes to Décor, inspired by interior designer Heidi Caillier's Memories of Home
364: Energy Management for Quality Everydays: 6 Daily Habits to Include
363: Elizabeth Bougerol talks about The Hot Sardines' new jazz album C'est La Vie
362: The Fundamental Ingredient in a Well-Lived (and long) Life: Honor What Makes Your Heart Sing, 13 life lessons from Dr. Gladys McGarey
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