Romanticising life
Photography by Danielle Ann Rose @bydanielleannrose
It’s no secret that life can be difficult at times and that mental health challenges are common for a lot of people right now. With that being said it’s up to us to take control of our reality and make choices that will benefit us and our mental health. We owe it to ourselves to make life beautiful, especially when we don’t feel like it is, because that’s when it matters most
I speak a lot about how our thoughts create our reality and how “like” attracts “like,” which is why it’s so important to look at our lifestyle choices and take responsibility for our mindset
The idea of “romanticising life” is a simple yet effective way to shift our outlook on life by finding beauty in the smallest of details. Look for the magic in the simplest moments and create an environment that feels special to us, even while doing the most mundane tasks
My favourite way to do this is by playing jazz music and lighting candles to create a calm and inspiring atmosphere. These simple details make doing things like cleaning, showering and writing feel so much more special and enjoyable
My partner Tyson and I have always loved to drink tea together and slow dance around the kitchen, these small, quiet moments will be some of the greatest of my life
Romanticising life is an opportunity to witness the extraordinary hidden in the ordinary, to view the world through a more creative lens and to appreciate the gentle beauty we sometimes miss when we forget to look up
My tips for finding magic in the mundane:
Appreciate the small moments. Take note of how they make you feel and why that is. When you can understand why something is special to you and express gratitude for it, you create an opportunity to attract more of it. These small moments are what make up a full life well lived
Celebrate your wins, no matter how small they might be. Give yourself some credit, pause, be proud of yourself, and reflect on what you’ve achieved without rushing on to the next task or goal. You are magnificent and it’s about time you realised that
Take pictures of everything. I know how beautiful it can be to live in the moment and not have your phone or camera out, but I also know what it feels like to lay in bed, crying, feeling like life isn’t worth living. The way I’ve found most effective to prove those thoughts wrong and to shift back to gratitude is by looking through my camera roll and seeing all the beautiful places I’ve been, with all the people I love and reminding myself that it truly is all worth it
Tell people you love them. The more you do, the more you’ll want to. It feels so good to know that everyone you love, knows how special they are to you. Don’t let a fear of other people’s perceptions of you stop you from expressing your love to the fullest extent. I tell everyone I meet how much they mean to me, and I know that might seem weird to others looking in, but I’m more afraid of my friends and family feeling unloved and underappreciated than I am of the judgements of outsiders looking in
Talk to strangers. Making new connections is so underrated and one of the most beautiful pieces of magic life has to offer. Obviously, be aware of stranger danger but don’t be afraid to go out and meet new people. It’s so exciting to think that I still haven’t met everyone I’m going to love in my life. Just imagine how many people are out there that you will one day be so glad you crossed paths with and you don’t even know a damn thing about them yet
Learn to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do, or better yet, something completely new and random. Because honestly, why not? If there is something your heart has always wanted to try, you owe it to yourself to experience it. If there’s something fun and spontaneous that pops into your mind, just go do it. Life is about fun and adventure, there’s no rule book on how to get life right, so just go try things out and see what makes your heart sing
Express yourself in whatever way makes you happiest. Self-expression is unique to everyone, find the things that make you feel like your true authentic self and go all in. Get creative and enjoy yourself, you deserve to feel like your best self and be unapologetic about it
Do things that make life feel special. Even if you believe Valentine’s Day is just a day created for consumerism, take the opportunity to spread love to the people in your life. You don’t even have to buy anything to share words of affirmation and affection. Just keep an eye out for invitations to create beautiful moments and enjoy them
Lean into your most confident self. Whatever the thing is that makes you feel damn good about yourself, whether that be specific clothes, a hairstyle, a skill, or an achievement. Give yourself permission to be consistent, take pride in yourself and keep your head up high
Be in the present moment. Eat slowly, take deep breaths, notice how the sunshine feels against your skin and spend less time scrolling through other people’s lives. Everyone’s different but I dare say you know what areas of your life need more attention and presence
Put simply, the idea of romanticising life is just about choosing to focus on the good. There is so much beauty around us every day, but we take it for granted and become too focused on the things we can’t control rather than embracing and appreciating the things we can
If you can choose to take more notice of the wonderful things life has to offer, like a winter sunset, a friend’s laughter, an extended moment of eye contact, sunlight shining through a window or a cat sleeping at your feet, then you can find hope in a gloomy day and see the glimmers of opportunity in a setback
You have the power to create your reality and change your mindset, the lens through which you see the world is up to you, but I recommend you romanticise it
