Small Luxuries
Any creature comfort that allows you to feel safer, happier, and ready to take on the realities of this world is worth it’s investment
Photo via Pexels @cottonbro
Times are weird. When the pandemic started, I, like many others, was furloughed from my job. Even though I promptly filed for unemployment (literally that day), it would still be 13 weeks until I got any form of payment due to a yet unidentified issue with my claim. I never actually got any contact from anyone at the unemployment office, but with the help of the internet and a very attentive staff member at a local legislator’s office, I finally started to see some of the money coming in.
I’ve mentioned that I’m working through The Artist’s Way, and it just so happens that the same week I finally got unemployment compensation was the week that’s all about money and luxury.
The basic premise of this chapter is that allowing yourself small and inexpensive luxuries is a relatively easy way to improve your overall experience in life. I’m a firm believer in that! As an example, I’ve found that buying or picking flowers to have around helps me to feel more more bright throughout my day. Actually, Adam and I just recently installed a new ceiling light in our bathroom that has a bluetooth speaker built in. Talk about frivolous luxury! It’s honestly a bit silly, but it adds a little joy to my mornings and that helps me start off the day on a positive note.
This has become a powerful principle in my life, especially as of late. One of the unexpected benefits of rebuilding my wardrobe with sustainability and ethics in mind, as I’ve mentioned before, has been the sense of luxury that comes from wearing a cotton T-shirt made ethically in the U.S. The idea that my purchase has gone to help a company that pays it’s workers a fair wage, or manufactures it’s items sustainably gives the experience of wearing it a new light. Yes, it’s just a cotton T-shirt, but it’s part of a larger system of choices that is better for everyone involved. My benefit as the consumer is a shirt that feels better to wear, doesn’t rip or discolor as quickly, and will stay stylish forever.
When I found a brand whose ethos I aligned with, and whose product made my day-to-day better, I bought four more T-shirts. Now, five days out of the week, I feel that much more grounded, that much more connected to who I am, and that much more happy. Just by putting on a shirt. The scary chaos of our world can still bring me down, of course, but it has that much further to go to get to me.
So, what is a small luxury in your life? What is something that brings you joy that you can turn up the volume on? It might be that moisturizer that’s a little too fancy, or French Press coffee, a half-hour of meditation in the morning, or a complicated cocktail in the evening. An excerpt from The Artist’s Way:
“What constitutes pampering? That will vary for each of us. For Gillian, a pair of new-to-her tweed trousers from the vintage store conjured up images of Carole Lombard laughter and racy roadsters. For Jean, a single, sprightly Gerber daisy perched on her night table told her life was abloom with possibility. Matthew found that the scent of real furniture wax gave him a feeling of safety, solidity, and order. Constance found luxury in allowing herself the indulgence of a magazine subscription…”
All of this, of course, is not without it’s share of privilege. Everyone is feeling the sting of financial hardships, and in our hierarchy of needs, self-actualization comes far after food. But I offer this as a final thought: any creature comfort that allows you to feel safer, happier, and ready to take on the realities of this world is worth it’s investment, when possible.
Our collective life is being upended and, even if it’s for the best, it can be scary and draining to experience all of this large scale change to a way of life that you are comfortable living. Identifying and implementing these small luxuries can help you feel grounded, more connected to yourself, and happier.
Justice - I love this. I didn't realize you had been furloughed.... When I was a young adult and there were very few if any extra dollars in any given week, I remember consciously buying myself a little bunch of flowers with my groceries every week - just a few dollars for one of those little bouquets - but how much I loved those flowers! The Artist's Way is a terrific book. I work through it every 5 years or so to recenter myself. Thank you for this post.
Great article and so true. I too am furloughed and reading anything positive in these uneasy times is a day brightener for me. So thanks for being the silver lining Justice!