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
361: 33 Decorating & Construction Lessons I Learned Customizing Le Papillon (a 3-year journey)
360: How to Find Love: Be Love Instead of Look for Love, as taught by Jay Shetty
359: Author and Philosopher Alexandra Stoddard on Living Well, Sharing Her Wisdom of 81 years
358: Anna Murphy Talks About Finding Your Way to the Best You Yet as Each Year Passes in her New Book, Destination Fabulous
357: The Gift of Being HSP, author Jenn Granneman talks about her New Book Sensitive
356: What I've Learned So Far in French Class, Part Cinq
355: Talking Paris, Flowers and Elevating the Everyday with Sandra Sigman about her new book French Blooms
354: How to Find Your Financial Freedom: The Importance of Understanding, Writing and LIVING Your Love Story with Money
353: A Stress-Reducing Year-Round Schedule for House Cleaning and Maintenance for a Small Household
352: How to Experience more Aha Moments in Your Life
351: 8 Strategies for Curating a Spring Capsule Wardrobe That Sings without the Excess
350: The Skill of Presence and Why It is at the Core of True Contentment
349: What I Have Learned in French Class, So Far . . . , Partie Quatre
348: The Paradox of Manifesting the Life You Have Envisioned
347: How to Savor Christmas at Home, Alone, Simply Luxuriously
346: Parisian by Design and the Gifts of trusting the Stirrings of Your Heart, my conversation with David Jimenez
345: 13 Simple Ideas for Adding Luxury to Your Home, Part Deux
344: The Importance of Investing in Key Décor Items and What Items Are Worth Investing In
343: How Setting Healthy Boundaries Contributes to True Contentment
342: 10 Items I Am Wearing This Fall For Timeless Style (and to stay warm and cozy)
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