What does it mean to live a beautiful life

questions to myself.

As I get older (33 in May, which somehow seems so much more 30s than 32 did) I catch myself wondering what do I want from this life? I’m married with no children and have worked within the content creation space for almost 10 years now, which in many ways I feel i’ve outgrown.

I journal and think about this question daily and honestly the same answer comes up - just a beautiful one. But what does that even mean? What is a beautiful life to me?

Being truthfully honest, as someone who has focused a lot on beauty, it often revolved around expensive things like homes, interiors, clothes, travel, and although this is fine it doesn’t seem to be cutting it anymore.

Of course I still love those things and they do bring me joy in a way but when writing about what it is I want from life it’s more focused on feeling good, my relationships and just enjoying all the little moments.

So, does this mean living a beautiful life is simply about how I make my everyday beautiful for me? With a focus on routines, and family, community? The arts, spending time reading or weekends at Museums, sharing food with the people I love?

I guess the conflict comes when I wonder - is that too boring? Am I holding myself back?

Should I put more of a focus on career goals and success even if it doesn’t seem to drive or excite me anymore?

Whilst writing my previous post on Tiny Joys I pulled out a poetry book from Wendy Cope to share a favourite of mine ‘The Orange’. I ended up rereading the book and came across the poem below, which actually seems to have helped solidify my feelings on all of this.

In my 20s I struggled with a debilitating phobia that caused an eating disorder and severe anxiety. At the same time I was seeing such success in my work, always busy and working with incredible brands yet dying inside, unable to eat or enjoy it.

The simplicity that I crave from life now is safety and stability and within that I can always find those tiny joys.

It’s ok that a beautiful life to me is waking up each morning and enjoying coffee with my husband, going on a walk, pottering at home, doing the food shop together on a Saturday morning.

And it’s ok that my work is starting to look different, it’s evolving.

It’s ok to want life to be simple and stable but still filled with travel whilst living in a beautiful home, that’s balance.

It’s ok that my attitude and priorities are changing, that’s growth.

Happy valentines day,

L xo