"Just as we are wired to be in connection with each other, we are wired with an impulse to help, with an instinct for compassion." —Deb Dana, author of Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory

Empathy in action.

While to empathize with another is a good step, a step that acknowledges our shared humanity, it is when we are motivated to act to alleviate the suffering that it becomes compassion. This compassion we are going to talk about today is a gift we give others as much as we need to give it to ourselves.

Compassion is a choice, but it is a natural choice to choose and each time we do, along with being curious and honoring our true self, "daily living takes on a sense of expansion and possibility."

When we began this 7-part series at the first of the month, I shared with you the guiding axiom that defines who TSLL is written for: "The thinking and compassionate person's blog with everyday 'sides' of living well to savor." In Part One we talked about what being a 'thinking person' meant in the context of living simply luxuriously, and it was shared that 'thinking' goes hand-in-hand with being 'compassionate'. They are equally important.

Without compassion, we can learn all the skills and gain all the knowledge that would be helpful, but if we are only thinking, we become a robot, unfeeling, and unable to see the humanity, the sentient souls (any creature capable of feelings, sensations, and consciousness), that surround us, and are part of our world. We are also unable to honor our true self and reach our full potential.

When we pair being a thinking person with being compassionate, we are on the path to building a life of true contentment. Of grounding ourselves each day in an enduring peace that no matter what is swirling around outside of us, we can hold ourselves in this calm and choose a loving, constructive path forward. We then arrive on the other side of the unwanted moments with a conscience that is at peace.

Listen to the episode to explore further . . .

Find the Show Notes here - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast410

To look up the definition of art through an academic lens is to discover there is no one agreed upon definition of art, and to my eye that is what makes it all the more beautiful to cultivate in the way we live each of our lives if we are to heed the above quote's encouragement of action.

Earlier this week, a new series began here on TSLL that will explore and share Who TSLL is Written For? And What Lies at the Heart of Living Simply Luxuriously.

Part Une: We discussed what it means to be a 'Thinking Person' in the context of living simply luxuriously and how thinking works as a unit with being compassionate, something we will talk about in-depth in episode #410. The foundational premise is yep, we all have thoughts, that is part of being human, but it is in choosing to learn how to use our thoughts that will determine the quality of our life.

At the core of living a life that brings fulfillment, peace, and allows us to experience contentment throughout every day of our life is an original recipe for living, and for the purposes of looking at art as a way of living, that is one value of 'art' that is non-negotiable. Each of our lives will be unique, comprised of chosen details coupled with experiential details that we as the artist have consciously woven together to create a life that is art.

If we copy the lifestyle of someone else, if we mimic what 'fall in line' means when it comes to making choices because others have made them before us, we are a print, and something easily replicated, void of depth, created without courage or daring.

So, let's get into this episode.

Find the Show Notes at The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast409

The journey of learning anything new, putting in the hours, the practice, and progressing in a controlled environment eventually must make its way into the real-world to ensure any confidence we have gained is sound.

Over the past three years, as many TSLL riders and listeners of the podcast know, I enrolled in French language classes (12 in total) with Washington D.C.'s Alliance de Français through their online classes. Completing through FR 204 (B 1.3) in February of this year, I had met my goal and set about heading to France in March, not having been there since 2022 when upon returning home I enrolled in these classes. As a way to keep me focused, inspired and determined, I told myself to complete all 100 and 200 level classes before I could return.

My learning journey was shared in a 9-part series consisting of podcast episodes and blog posts, and you can view all of them here. Those posts/episodes include detailed grammar and vocabulary lessons and really step into the language learning process. Today's episode is less concrete French language conversation and more about the experience of being in France having the language more comfortably accessible in my cognitive toolbox.

Whether you are in the middle of your French language journey, just beginning or well-advanced along the road of proficiency, may today's episode convey reassurance that your investment of time and money will be worth your efforts in more ways than you might imagine possible.

Let's take a look at how the two week trip unfolded with the French language in use.

View the detailed Show Notes for episode #408 here - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast408