The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style

• 412: The Human Connection — 10 Benefits of Proficiency in a New Language

   “You live a new life for every language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.” ―Czech proverb Did you know that 92% of students in Europe learn another language in school, and nearly a quarter of Canadians can hold a conversation in both English and French. Roughly one out of every two people on the planet knows at least two languages, and three out of four humans don’t speak English. (source: ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) That may sound hyperbolic or pie-in-the-sky, but take a moment and consider what a democracy rests upon: civility, acceptance of differences, even if the majority rules, minority's rights are protected, along with a educated populous in vast fields of knowledge. These benefits, as we will talk about in more detail at the end of today's post, not only benefit the individual in the career and life pursuits, they also benefit the social and economic security of a democracy. "Growth in the number of people speaking languages in addition to English creates new opportunities for greater cross-cultural understanding, and integrates different ideas and perspectives in ways that will improve democratic discourse." —The Century Foundation As we get older, the argument is that it becomes more difficult to acquire a new language, and while that can be true, it depends more heavily upon the individual, their cognitive strength, the type of language they are learning (what Group level is it), as well as their awareness about what it takes to learn a new language. Yes, there will be challenges. Yes, you will be required to set aside your ego, and yes, it will take dedicated and consistent effort for at least 500 hours of learning to gain basic proficiency in a Grade I language (French and Spanish are included in this category). But the temporary stress is worth it for all that is gained. “A man who is ignorant of foreign languages is also ignorant of his own language.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Let's take a look four truths that are revealed about someone who chooses to learn a new language. Each worthwhile attributes that not coincidentally play fundamental roles in living a life of contentment. Find the Show Notes for this episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast412 

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• 411: How to Deepen Your 'Joyspan' which will Lengthen Your Lifespan and Elevate the Quality of Your Entire Life

  "Joy is the experience of contentment, gratitude, and meaning, regardless of our external circumstance. Joy is not simply feeling happy. Joy encompasses quality of life and the ability to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose . . . Joy, by definition, cannot be the goal." —Dr. Kerry Burnight, author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half A mindset shift. A lifestyle choice. Rather than 'choosing joy' a concept that is vast in its meaning as what brings one person joy will be different from another's, it is rather knowing how to cultivate joy. What we choose are the ways to bring more joy into our life. What awesome news to discover that this is a choice we each have the opportunity to make, and in so doing, we welcome more quality into our life today and each day moving forward, as well as a longer life to savor. Gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight defines the term joyspan as how many years you enjoy living. "The experience of psychological well-being and satisfaction in longevity." In order to lengthen our joyspan, we need to know how to cultivate joy, and where to find it. The good news is, similar to contentment, we possess the capabilities within ourselves. We now just need to choose to put them to work. Listen to the full episode, and find the detailed Show Notes here on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast411 

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• 410: What True Compassion Is and How to Employ It By Default, part Cinq/Five of "What Lies at the Heart of Living Simply Luxuriously"

  "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 

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• 409: How to Make Living Itself An Art, Part Deux (Who is TSLL Written For?)

  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 

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• 408: How 3-Years of French Language Classes Elevated My Experience While Visiting France

  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 

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