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
341: The First 15 Key Elements I Included in My English Cottage-inspired Home, Part Un
340: What If Today Is Going to Be the Best Day of Your Life? How to Let Such a Day Unfold
339: The Paradox of True Contentment
338: Tips on Taking the Eurostar between Paris and London
337: 10 Everyday French Details I Incorporate Into My Routine
336: How to Live a Life that Nourishes Your Brain, Thereby Elevating the Quality of Your Entire Life
335: How to Savor Staying Home During the Summer Holiday, 17 Ideas
334: 25 Ideas for Celebrating Le Quatorze Juillet (Bastille Day!)
333: What I Do to Lessen Jet Lag (flying from the West Coast to Western Europe)
The French Way: How to Create a Luxurious Everyday Life
332: The Power and Necessity of Regular and Frequent Reflection
331: How to Notice the Awesomeness in Your Life and the World
330: 25 Ideas for Enjoying British Culture in Your Everyday Life
329: 20 Life Lessons Learned on My Recent Trip to England
328: 15 Ideas to Savor Paris
327: How to Change Your Brain So Your Mind (and thus you!) Can Thrive
326: A Life of Abundant Bliss: A Natural State of True Contentment
325: 10 Ideas for Reveling in the Spring Season
324: 13 Ideas for Being Extraordinary at the Ordinary
323: The Art of Savoring: 6 Everyday Moments to Savor, Part Deux
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