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
322: Everyday Parisian Blogger, Rebecca Plotnick on Traveling to Paris during Covid
321: 9 Tips for Resetting into a Life Rhythm to Harmonize with Your Life's Desired Composition
320: What If . . . This Was the Year It All Came Together? Are You Ready?
319: How to Trust, How to Be Trustworthy and How Understanding Both Will Transform Your Entire Life
318: How to Become A Secure Adult in Relationships
317: How to Handle Travel Plans that Go Awry
316: How to Cultivate A Life Full of Vitality (and how it contributes to your overall well-being)
315: Being in Love, Being HSP and Being at Peace with Ourselves and the One We Love
314: Dive Deep into Life Instead of Paddling on the Surface
313: The Importance of Finding Meaning in Life: 9 Lessons taught by Viktor E. Frankl
312: The New Hello, my conversation with The Confidence Project founder Tracy Hooper
311: How Accepting Your Mortality Sets You Free to Live More Deeply
Season 8 Schedule of the Podcast Announced
310: Murder in Provence, M.L. Longworth Talks about Her Series Coming to BritBox
309: Let's Travel to Paris! My Discussion with Paris Perfect Vacation Rentals' Founder Madelyn Byrne
308: 15 Ideas for Welcoming Provence Style into Your Home & Garden
307: How to Step into your Fullest True Self — The Way of Integrity, as taught by Martha Beck
306: 25 British Petit Plaisirs (and a new category for all of TSLL's Simple Pleasures)
305: 36 Bedtime Daily Rituals and Essential Details to Ensure A Restful Slumber
304: Artists in Residence writer and illustrator Melissa Wyse and Kate Lewis
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