The Importance of Little Luxuries
The country is in an economic downturn. Money is tight and stress is high. The stocks that you so carefully invested in and set aside to help out during the low points in your life are on the verge of bottoming out. Neighbors are being laid off from work as more and more companies cut corners to stay alive, at any time you could be the next one unemployed, or having your hours cut. The costs of living keep rising but your paycheck stays the same and it seems that every penny is getting squeezed till it screams. The stack of bills that get set aside each payday gets a little higher each month. This is the perfect atmosphere for a really good period of depression to nestle into your life. This is the time when the simple pleasures or "little luxuries" of life becomes so important.
Despite the current lack of extra income that you are currently experiencing, emotionally you still need to enjoy all those important luxuries, and treats in life that make it worth living. You and your family still need to get out and really truly enjoy your lives. Even more importantly you need breaks from the stress and anxiety that are occurring in your world. You need the little luxuries of life as a reward to yourself for getting out there and working through this difficult period in time. These small enjoyments in life are what allow a person to really truly enjoy the process of day to day living.
These "simple pleasures" of life don't have to cost a lot, they just have to be something that you enjoy, something that is a reward to yourself to make up for all the other stuff that you do in your life that isn't quite so rewarding. They can be something as simple as a nice hot cup of specialty tea or coffee at a local cafe. For around a dollar and a half you can have about an hour of entertainment. An opportunity to just sit and enjoy the flavor of your beverage while you experience the atmosphere that accompanies it. A brief respite or vacation from the stresses of everyday living. A little luxury might be that instead of going on an expensive stress relieving shopping binge, you instead enjoy a day of window shopping with a friend or family member, and then stop off at that same local cafe to discuss the merchandise and people that you have seen on your trip.
Pack up a picnic basket and head off to the city closest to yours to enjoy a day at one of their local parks. If it is winter, fill a thermos with cocoa, and head off to a local hill to experience the excitement of tobogganing. It is amazing how luxurious that cocoa tastes when you enjoy it outdoors. If you can't even dream of affording a trip to Costa Rica, or to afford a trip across the state to visit your relatives, what you may have is enough money for gas to take a little trip to a neighboring town to enjoy one of their local attractions.
Enjoying the simple pleasures of life doesn't have to be expensive, purchase a model kit to assemble, or buy a 1000 to 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Your partner might look at you as though you have lost your marbles, but for the many hours of entertainment that these items provide, these little luxuries are well worth the small price tag that they carry. Working together on a group project also serves to create unity within a family. It allows time for conversations and humor.
Turn little everyday occurrences into luxuries to be enjoyed. Purchase bubble bath, candles, or a bath pillow and turn your bath time into a relaxing spa-like experience. Think of candle lighted meals every now and then, or of picnics in the backyard, or on the balcony of your home. Jog or dance around your house and from room to room. This is guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of your kids, or spouse, just calmly explain to them that they have officially driven you nuts. The family pet usually loves this one and will start to look forward to the daily jaunts throughout the home.
Start going for walks as a form of exercise and entertainment. Take the time to savor every moment of these little adventures of life. Take a few minutes to watch, and listen, to birds that you may encounter on your walk. To see the emotions of children that are playing as you pass them, to see the expressions on the faces of passersby, nod your head or smile and say hi. Really truly feel every moment of your experience, take the time to enjoy your little interlude from the drudgery of life, and learn to really enjoy those little luxuries of life.
It is often difficult to climb the ladder of success but it can also be just as difficult to step back down a little to a simpler place in time. Often people have forgotten the things that they used to do that were so enjoyable to them in the past. The all important little luxuries of life that were replaced over time with other enjoyments.
Instead of taking your loved one out for an expensive dining experience try dining instead on a Toonie Tuesday deal, a lot of local restaurants offer them, and it can make Tuesdays a day in the week to look forward to. Or dine out for lunch rather than supper. Most smorgasbords are priced lower for the daytime meal than the evening one, and a number of restaurants offer fantastic daytime specials, take advantage of having the same great food from your favorite restaurant at a substantially lower price!
Haunt out garage sales or thrift stores for little treasures that can be found at a fraction of their value. Visit your local library.
The point to these little adventures is to treat them as just that, a luxury or experience to be enjoyed, a break from day to day living that needs to be relished and savored for all that it can be. When it is most needed in life, these little adventures or expenditures are our moments of respite from an otherwise stressful time, they are our little luxuries!