How to live a luxurious life on a budget that is not luxurious
I think it is important for women to learn how to add luxury to their work, their lives and their souls.
I used to feel the same way about people living the "good life" and you know what?
I'm also not a money coach, which means I won't teach you how to make more money.
What I discovered is that in order to attract a luxurious life, you must first learn to be a luxurious person, and that's what the "French Kissing Life" is all about - filling each day with enthusiasm, passion and desire - all achievable with a little money in the bank.
In fact, this method, and not the money management system, is exactly how the most luxurious life attracted.
Like Coco Chanel, I love luxury. My heart beats when I walk past the shops in Paris. The three-star Michelin restaurant excites groans. Fantastic handbag and hotel staff constantly saying 'my pleasure' at every order makes me smile.
I have even developed the Deluxe Mastermind Program where I have the honour to mentor an amazing group of women as we travel to some of the most luxurious places in the world like Aspen and Monaco. I think it is important for women to learn how to add luxury to their work, their lives and their souls. (By the way, this photo is of us at our slumber party with a private chef at the Ritz.)
Call me in vain or material or whatever you have for people like me. I don't care. Actually I understand. I used to feel the same way about people living the "good life" and you know what? It wasn't because I thought they were bad people. I was jealous deep down because I wanted to, too.
This is what you may not know about me. I have not always lived a luxurious lifestyle. In fact, I've hit a dead end. I'm talking about eating ramen noodles, living in a double show, chasing a special K-mart Blue light, and putting 25 cents of gas in my car bread.
I'm also not a money coach, which means I won't teach you how to make more money. I teach you how to harness your desires, create health, follow your passions and live life to the fullest. It seems like money follows a girl like this.
What I discovered is that in order to attract a luxurious life, you must first learn to be a luxurious person, and that's what the "French Kissing Life" is all about - filling each day with enthusiasm, passion and desire - all achievable with a little money in the bank. In fact, this method, and not the money management system, is exactly how the most luxurious life attracted.
I want to show you how to do the same because I know deep down you are probably going to enjoy a nice bottle of wine or a night at the Ritz-Carlton. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting it. In fact, I say, "Go!"
Make it accessible
Very few people are fortunate enough to become millionaires overnight, but if you want to live a luxurious life, you must align your energy with luxury. So what does the girl do?
Well, you might have to redefine luxury to make it available now, because if your current definition is good yachting and you're driving a Bento, guess what? You messed up.
So let's think about luxury like this: outstanding people, experiences, and things.
When I decided many years ago that I was sick of the bullshit in my life, I started looking for quality. I'm done with junk food, people whine and made-in-China plastic. I wanted more for myself, but I couldn't afford Chanel at the time (and although I write about it like we're best friends now, I still don't have a piece). I had to start showing gratitude for the luxury. I needed to draw more of that into my life, and trust me, if you're reading this, you have a computer. It's a luxury.
Luxury is all about quality and sometimes most quality trials are free. I can't think of anything more luxurious than hanging out with my daughter on the couch and watching a really good movie or my morning cup of coffee on my back.
Instead of giving you a Law of Attraction guide to attracting more money, I'll share real-life examples of how I began experiencing luxury long before my first stay at the Ritz-Carlton (btw, j 'I love the Ritz'). When I began to do the following, the world of luxury opened his arms and hugged me:
1. I stopped hanging out with people who always complain about how broken they are. Luxurious deluxe repellent.
2. I have looked for good relationships with people who are not strangers to luxury. I wanted to learn how to think like them.
3. I spent more time in nature. There is nothing so luxurious as walking barefoot on the grass on a summer evening or a good walk in the woods.
4. Luxury abhors haste, so slow down and enjoy a cup of coffee and conversations with friends.
5. I stopped spending my money on Crap 2 T-shirts for $20 and saved up to buy awesome T-shirts worth $100. Luxury is not about quantity. It's the quality that matters.
6. You have stopped in luxury hotel lobbies and just witnessed a world of luxury. They don't charge you for the lobby space.
7. I drove a junk car so I could enjoy good food. I still drive a less than luxurious car, but my life hasn't been damaged even a bit.
8. I followed my passion and attended a sommelier school. The initial investment of $500 allowed me to reach a whole other level of luxury where I was able to sample a $1,000 bottle of wine and say something cool like, "Well...I think he's going to pull the weather for a while." A moment of great luxury. (By the way, after my desire to learn more about the world of wine, I was asked to write restaurant reviews for a regional magazine and create a wine program at a country club, resulting in more luxurious experiences that I paid for. How cool. is it?)
9. I dressed and walked like a fancy woman, which meant I didn't walk out of my house in baggy jeans and an off the shoulder T-shirt.
10. I became a luxury student, read good literature, watched classic movies, read Town and Country and Vogue.
11. She stopped listening to my thoughts saying things like, "Girl, you grew up in a trailer. Who do you think you are?" It's just unnecessary talk.
12. I began to engage fully with my world and the people in it, asking questions, searching for answers, and constantly showing myself.
13. I put fresh flowers in my house.
14. I visited my parents more often. She always makes me feel like a princess, even when we've been living in a double show.
15. I looked for good conversations that discussed the important things, such as death, life, religion, fashion, food and wine. Well, at least these things are important to me.
16. She attended luxury events, such as an orientation course for women at Duke Business School. Keep in mind I was a full time nurse and have never worked in this field. These events didn't cost me a dime beyond gas to get there either.
17. I started walking through Saks like I belonged there, not like a stranger whose eyes would have popped out of my sockets when I saw the price of a Louis bag. No, I just shrug like it's not the bag for me.
18. I became aware of what I put in my body and how I moved around the world. Yes, that means healthy diet and exercise.
19. I have cleansed (and continue to cleanse) my world of low quality people, things and experiences. Luxury does not exist side by side with chaos, drama and mayhem.
20. I thought I deserved a luxurious life. This is the most important of all. Many women walk around feeling guilty if they invested $20 in themselves. If that's you, listen to me. You are not doing yourself or the charity world any good by depriving yourself of the luxurious life. Most of the people I know live painful lives, and that's how they can help so many others. You have to clean up this thought to let the luxury in.
Bonus: I remembered this after I finished the article, so let's call it a bonus. One of the things I began to do was to bless those who lived a luxurious lifestyle instead of secretly judging and hating them. By saying "You go girl" every time I saw a woman wearing her Prada dress, stepping out of the massage parlour or walking around the Four Seasons, I opened my heart to the universe and said, "Get her. I'm ready!"
Tonya Lee Williams is a coach, speaker and author. She is dedicated to empowering women to create amazing lives and bodies without dieting, deprivation and drama. Her passion is helping women break free from body image, weight and food issues. Tonya teaches the secrets of naturally thin people, coaches women to eat naturally without deprivation, and shows women how to transform their bodies at the same time while also living peacefully in them. It has helped women lose weight, gain clarity and purpose, and start a new life without struggle. If you are interested in learning more about coaching with Tonya Lee.
She is dedicated to empowering women to create amazing lives and bodies without dieting, deprivation and drama. Tonya teaches the secrets of naturally thin people, coaches women to eat naturally without deprivation, and shows women how to transform their bodies at the same time while also living peacefully in them. Succeed With HOW TO LIVE A LUXURIOUS LIFE ON A BUDGET THAT IS NOT LUXURIOUS
