WHAT DO THE REAL LUXURIES IN LIFE LOOK LIKE?

Abundance and luxury don't need to involve an expensive and extravagant lifestyle. They can be found in the small, delightful moments every day.

LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE

I used to think that living abundantly and luxuriously involved an expensive lifestyle and having everything you could imagine at your finger tips, wanting for nothing. As time has moved on, I've found the types of abundance and luxury that revolve around extravagance are meaningless to me. I have no desire at all to add more "stuff" to my life, to own more, to spend more, or to keep up with the Joneses.

Abundance and luxury for me are all about the small delights that are part of everyday life, simple pleasures that we often take for granted. Today I thought I'd share some of them....

WHAT ARE THE REAL LUXURIES IN LIFE?

Abundant living isn't in the big things, it's in the small moments, the quiet joys, the consistency of a life lived on your own terms. To be happy in your own skin, and at peace with those around you. To have family and friends who love and care about you, to know your own worth and to share your abilities with others. To be able to be generous with your time and money, to seek new interests and discover new insights. To appreciate all the little blessings in your life and to feel gratitude for each of them.
There's so much in life that slips by unnoticed, but when we stop and add each little joy to the one before it, we find ourselves swamped with luxury, swimming in abudance, and it fills our hearts with gratitude. Once I started thinking about all the gifts life gives us, I even noticed them being mentioned here and there on Facebook and Pinterest, so I've compiled a list to get us started:

  • A good night's sleep
  • Slow mornings
  • A warm hug
  • That first cup of coffee (or tea)
  • A hot shower or a warm bath
  • Freedom to choose
  • Quiet moments throughout the day
  • Time for hobbies and pastimes
  • Listening to nature
  • Long walks
  • Freedom to travel
  • A good book
  • Learning, growth, inspiration
  • The warm sun on your face
  • A cat in your lap
  • A dog at your feet
  • Home cooked meals
  • Being with the people you love
  • Time spent with family
  • Good conversations
  • Colourful sunsets
  • Lying snuggled in your bed
  • Feeling content with your world

I'm sure there's hundreds more I could add to the list - but this post would be endless! I think it's made me realise how truly fortunate I am to live a life that's so full. Every day I get to wake up and experience dozens of little luxuries whether I'm at home, or out and about. Life might not be perfect, but it's often very good, and it's up to us to open our eyes and hearts to appreciate all that we've been blessed with.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

I'd love you to add to the list if there's something that you feel is a little luxury that brings you joy. A beach walk, getting your nails done, coffee with a friend, a kiss from a loved one, the smell of a bakery, the sun sparkling on water or breaking through a cloud.....it really is endless isn't it?

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Abundance and luxury don't need to involve an expensive and extravagant lifestyle. They can be found in the small, delightful moments every day.

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Cresting the Hill - a blog for Midlife (Middle Aged / 50+) women who want to thrive
Abundance and luxury don't need to involve an expensive and extravagant lifestyle. They can be found in the small, delightful moments every day.

39 comments

  1. I'm reading a book at the moment titled Less, by Patrick Grant. It's about consumerism, the growth of consumerism and a return to a more minimal way of life. He's a Saville Row tailor but owns just a few items he uses and wears each day - and talks about quality over quantity. It's fascinating.

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    1. Hi Jo - I wonder if there's a bit of a push back these days against the crass consumerism we see online? Before the internet we assumed there were only a handful of wealthy people - now we see excess flaunted everywhere. The "haves" certainly like to show their loot - and it just wearies me - I'll take quiet comfort over excess any day.

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  2. I love your blog; it encourages me to think of all the good things in my life and so many more to look forward to. One of my favorite joys is closing my eyes and feeling a warm summer breeze pass by.

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    1. Hi KLB - thank you so much for your lovely compliment - I really do believe that sharing positivity and gratitude shifts our viewpoint and makes us more content with the life we have. We're in the middle of winter here and I would love a warm summer breeze passing by! Instead I'll settle for a patch of sunshine in a sheltered spot and the knowledge that spring will come again. :)

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  3. Hi, Leanne - Your list is excellent. I wholeheartedly agree that simple luxuries enhance our daily lives. A few that I would add to the list include: Stargazing, Fresh Flowers, Scented Candles, Cozy Blankets, Freshly Baked Bread, Naps, A Good Stretch, Laughing, Fresh Aire and Listening to the Rain. :D

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    1. Hi Donna - I love every single one of your additions - it's amazing how many small joys there are that are available to us for next to no cost, and that bring with them such a sense of peace or joy or warmth.

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  4. Every time I read your blog it just resonates with me and how I feel now. I cried this weekend when I thought how tough I’d been on myself to be slim or fit in. Take me as I am & who I have become or move on. No more sadness or constant analysis. People are so tied in to possessions & over consuming. If only this wisdom had come sooner. Thanks for your words of wisdom x

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    1. Hi! I'm so glad you enjoy what I write and I can assure you that beyond a doubt, anywhere that requires you to be slim or to be "pretty" or to be "cool" or to be anything other than who you are is not a place that you really want to be part of. If something doesn't feel like a good fit for me, I'd rather stay home in my own space. The days of twisting myself to fit into other people's boxes is long gone - and when I feel even the slightest pressure to do so, I back off quick smart. I think we all need to be kinder to ourselves and to each other - it would make the world a much nicer place to live in. It starts with us - and I'm doing my utmost to be the kindest version of me possible - I hope you find the space to be kind to yourself too. :)

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  5. A beautiful post, Leanne. I agree with looking for the small things because those inevitably are the things that can give the most joy. In fact not even actively looking for them because they often happen out of the blue, it seems to me. Here's to slow living and the simple life.

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    1. Hi Prue - slow and simple living is an absolute conduit to having the headspace to appreciate the little luxuries of life when they find their way to us. I love that I have time to breathe and to appreciate these small pleasures - and no desire at all for the big and busy stuff this world puts so much emphasis on.

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  6. It really is endless! And this post is such a great reminder of all those little moments we can all be thankful for.

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    1. Hi Jo - yes, I loved the ones that Donna added off the top of her head - I feel rich just thinking about all the little things in life that I get to enjoy every day. We're so blessed aren't we?

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  7. I love your list and even the builds you did at the end. I did a beach walk this morning. :-).
    I've also worked at not feeling guilty for the abundance of little luxuries I have in my life. When I start to feel down about things, looking at lists like these can really boost my mood.

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    1. Hi Pat - I love how it's a little bit different for all of us, but no matter how flat we feel, if we choose to pause and think about it, there's a lot of lovely little things in our life to make us grateful. My husband's off on a beach walk atm and it always makes his heart happy to be there....enjoy yours. :)

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  8. This postage is such a wonderful, gentle reminder to pay attention to those little moments that present themselves to us. My favorites are the late afternoon sun on our back lawn, our cat curled up next to me while we are sleeping, and our fireplace turned on during winter nights. As you say, small, quiet, simple things that help make our days softer and brighter.

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    1. Hi Kristine - warmth seems to play into a lot of happy moments doesn't it? Warm breezes, sunshine, a pet nearby, a hug, a fire or a heater on a cold night.... I'm so grateful to have moments like that - especially when I stop to think about those who don't have them as something they take for granted. We're very blessed.

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  9. My childhood was chaotic so it was hard to live in the moment. I am training myself to do that and you are right - I will always remember the nights I used to sit in our outback garden and watch the lightning make its way towards us. There are man y 'moments' which reward us for just being there and noticing.

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    1. Hi Joyce - I'm sorry for your childhood (and can relate to a less than lovely one myself) but I do truly believe we can move forward and create a new "normal" by appreciating all the small joys and blessings and consciously choosing to turn away from those thoughts that drag us back to the less than lovely parts of life. <3

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  10. A lovely look at life through your gratitude lens Leanne. I am going to add mine...because without it I cannot do or be how I find life now. Mine is...."enough" money to help me do so. There is no actual measure for this 'enough' for me. However it is something I rely on because I am both practical and a realist. I do have some money these days that is FAR less than I ever had when working (and busy etc) and I am more caring about where it goes to sustain me and B, but I also know the baseline is there, and I respect its presence and how it helps enable me to be as worry-free to enjoy what means most now. Those include a coffee and treat with a friend every few weeks, a trip into the city by car to walk around and view what I love about Sydney and to take lots of pics...and to drive the other way, up the mountains, to walk freely in the Botanical Gardens of the Blue Mountains...and, of course, 'enough' money for my art fun.
    Denyse
    '

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    1. Hi Denyse - money used to be such a driver in my earlier life - all those years of making ends meet and getting on top of mortgage payments etc. I still find it hard to believe that we have reached a place of financial security and (by continuing to be sensible with our spending) we can enjoy little luxuries like the ones you mentioned.
      It's so easy to let ourselves slide into thinking about what we don't have, but when we turn our attention to all those little bright moments in our day, and consciously seek to add more, life just becomes so much sunnier. x

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  11. Quiet moments sitting alone in a cafe and sipping on a cool summer drink. And most of the above that you mention.

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    1. Hi Natasha - I love that one - nothing beats a little cafe and a favourite drink - when I get a coffee made how I like it, it just makes my heart happy :)

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  12. Leanne,
    I loved this post..... As I try to make way and find my new normal, for me it is seeing my twin grand daughters even if it is only a picture of them at times, same thing with my sweet grand pups, having dinner daily with my oldest son, enjoying a morning cup of coffee out on my back patio and sitting reading on my front porch in the afternoon....Also what is helping me is attending Mass on Sundays and seeing good friends there....I am getting more involved in volunteering at church too and that makes me happy....Also for me decorating and crafting brings me great joy and peace.....Again, thanks so much for the inspiration, my friend....
    Hugs,
    Deb
    Debbie-Dabble Blog

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    1. Hi Deb - I'm so glad you're finding your way through your grief and loss, and that there are small joys every day to help you find your happiness. I think faith and serving others helps us recentre ourselves and to remember the bigger picture - life still keeps moving forward, and we can do it if we are kind to ourselves and have a good support network behind us. Those two little grandgirls of yours are beyond adorable and came into your world at the perfect time. x

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  13. Hello Leanne - I like the simpler pleasures of life, too. Reading your post ( a weekly gift), quiet moments, meditation, a good book, first cup of tea or a coffee with a friend at a café, birds singing , a walk in the park and a chat with passerby. Too many to list but very similar to your list. I am very grateful and appreciate all the beautiful free things in life. Oh I forgot! A nice glass of wine (not free ,lol) and a nice bright lipstick. Also babies and animals. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

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    1. Hi Yvonne - I'm so glad you could list off so many little joys from your own life when I know that there are a lot of difficulties in there as well. By recognizing the blessings we offset some of the darkness don't we? I couldn't believe how many small pleasures there are until I started my list and had to stop before it became too long! When the little niggles of life start to get to me, I'm making a conscious effort to turn my thoughts to the good things instead - it helps remind me that life is still very, very good. x

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  14. WONDERFUL List, Leanne! Here are a few from me: My feet in a cool sandy stream, nature surrounding me. No phone anywhere near me. Clean, cool fresh air in the quiet country. A simple, home-cooked meal. Taking the spent stems from a geranium plant. Snuggled in bed with my cat curled up above my knees and my dog curled up below.

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    1. Ohhhhh I can feel all those things - we're in the middle of winter here and I felt warmer and 'sunshinier' just reading your list! Walks in the quiet countryside just soothe the soul don't they? I'm not sure what it is.....maybe the air, the quiet, the natural world, being away from distractions.... whatever it is, I know that we all need to disconnect regularly to keep life balanced and happy.

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  15. Hi Leanne, I see what you meant in your comment on my post today - we both are on the same wavelength! I'm a bit late with reading and commenting on posts so hadn't seen your post until just now - love it!!

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    1. Hi Deb - as soon as I read your post this morning I could feel the similar vibes - just that sense of being really happy with our lives, with the little joys, with the small things we can be grateful for that all add up to living our best lives each and every day. x

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  16. So glad I found you! I'm a midlife blogger and often have a hard time finding sites I can relate to. Keeping yours on my reading list! Blogs are returning in popularity and I miss reading and commenting and building a community like you have here.

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    1. Hi Donna - lovely to "meet" you and welcome. There is definitely a community of Midlife bloggers out there, although it waxes and wanes as people come and go with their blogging. I hope you'll pop back to visit and I'm heading over to visit you :)

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  17. Hi Leanne, You share many great points. I still recall ‘…when you look back on your life…’ I remember many of the little moments with loved ones. You remind me about ‘noticing’ and staying aware. I extra like your phrase ‘feeling content with your world.’ Towards the end of the day for me here…I have been reliving some of my memories from the past 2 months as I file and back up my photos. Capturing the smiles on my family always makes me happy. Thank you for sharing a lovely post, Leanne! XX Erica

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    1. Hi Erica - family is so important isn't it? Every time we catch up with our kids, or spend time with the grandgirls, or I have lunch with my mum, I'm reminded of how lovely my life is and how fortunate I am to have them in it. I've really enjoyed seeing all your Alaskan holiday pics and how much fun you all had together - memories that will last a lifetime and worth so much more than shiny toys. x

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  18. Thank you, Leanne. I couldn't agree more with your definition of an abundant life and have copied that description so I can be reminded of that whenever I need it. I love your list of life's little pleasures. Today so far, I can say I feel abundantly blessed by waking up to another day feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, having an energetic entertaining workout, and enjoying a delicious crisp apple. As you say, I could go on and on, but I'll stop there for now.

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    1. Hi Christie - a refreshing night's sleep is something we take for granted when we're younger, but is SUCH a luxury now we're older! Every time I sleep well I'm grateful - and having a workout you enjoyed is even better (something I'm yet to experience...) Life really is good and we're so blessed to be alive and living it well. x

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  19. Leanne,
    Me again...Just wanted to stop by to Thank You for your visit and kind words!!
    Hugs,
    Deb
    Debbie-Dabble Blog

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    1. My pleasure Debbie - it's always lovely to pop over and see what you're up to. :)

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