,
June begins with sunshine and warmth. Rain falls to nurture and calm, and growth of the natural beauty around us reveals itself.
Growth within ourselves occurs in similar scenarios: something occurs that opens a window or a door of light or illumination, we are encouraged to step forward because the opportunity for something better is presented — more contentment, stronger relationships, a healthier world, etc., and then we are often encouraged to nurture what we seek with new knowledge and experiences to enable the
growth to occur and be noticeable.
As the school year winds down, the last unit presented to my students grapples with the issue of implicit bias in our media and the American culture — implicit bias being the unconscious bias that resides within of us — and upon reading the book The Person You Mean to Be, I found answers I had been seeking for some time: how to identify implicit bias within myself, how to
embrace a growth mindset, how to navigate and communicate effectively with others at various stages of implicit bias understanding and how to reduce implicit bias I found. But it took until I was 40 to find these answers.
It wasn't that I wasn't looking for answers until I picked up this book, but rather I didn't know what I was looking for, and when I finally did find it, I wasn't sure where or how to find the answers I sought. And that is why growth, especially self-growth, requires patience, but at the same time, persistence. The answers will come, growth can happen, but we have to keep searching — whether
that is to keep trying, but doing so in a different way, reading another book by another expert to gather a different perspective on the same topic, or exposing ourselves to new experiences while lettting go of as many assumptions of what should happen and instead letting it unfold as it will.
It can be hard to see our own growth, especially regarding a more recent past. I have found that by reading my past entries in my journals — 1 year, 2 years, 5 years ago — it is often a therapeutic experience as I can read a slightly different voice and know, yes, growth has indeed occurred. Sometimes the growth can be recognized when we return to a place or visit a person that we haven't seen
frequently; we see things through a different lens; we understand what we are experiencing differently and in that moment, we know we have grown.
Understanding that we have the potential to grow and be diffferent and better than we are today or were yesterday is certainly something to celebrate. And do make sure to celebrate these realizations. Celebrate when you recognize your growth. Make what may seem initially small, but actually quite significant, a reason to cheer and elevate the everyday.
Speaking of elevating the everyday, this week on the blog and podcast, it turned into a mini French Week of sorts. From episode #253 sharing 36 ways to welcome joie de vivre into your evefyday with a Petit Plaisir that will entertain, take you to France and improve your French, to a tour of a remodeled home in Burgundy, and wrapping up with a new book about Paris included in this week's
Outfit of the Week, if waiting until the second full week of August for the return of TSLL's annual French Week seems too long, don't worry, you have a bit of a French appetizer week. :)
It may have become apparent that France is on my mind as of late (but to be honest, it is rarely not ;)). But it has been even more at the forefront as I have the opportunity to return this summer, and I am still pinching myself that this opportunity presented itself. I look forward to sharing my journey with you on the blog, Instagram and
on the upcoming Season 2 of The SImply Luxurious Kitchen, my cooking show (which premieres this upcoming September). So be sure to follow along on IG (@thesimplyluxuriouslife) to see everyday moments in France that will be shared on my Stories Feed.
And now, the weekend. Wishing you a lovely couple of days to do and be as you need and most enjoy. Thank you for subscribing to the weekly newsletter, and until next Friday, I will see you on the
blog.
