Redefining Luxury

Jil Shi
Jil Shi
Jul 20, 2017 · 2 min read

I was staying at a hotel during the week. Nothing fancy or what you would call 'luxurious’. No free toiletries, basic towels and minimal cleaning products. And yet, I realised that this made it luxurious to me.

I have a number of allergies and staying away from home is a challenge. I can be allergic to the bed (dustmites or the washing powder), the cleaning products (anything fragranced) and then there are the food/breakfast challenges (I usually take my own).

Luxury for me in that hotel was not having to worry. Being able to sleep in a basic but clean and chemical-free bed. Breathe in a clean but chemical-free room. Not a 'luxury' hotel where I would react to fragranced laundry and products and then feel depressed about it, aware that 'everyone else' seems to love this type of thing.

It got me thinking about what else we call 'luxury'. When we 'treat ourselves' to a cheeseburger or cake, that's defined as something special... but, really, a treat for our bodies would probably be a day of becoming well-hydrated, light, nourishing food and some rest. So who are we 'treating' with cake and chocolate? Really, it's our minds and emotions.

I think Luxury can be subjective and it can also be an idea of what 'the best' is rather than what 'the best' actually is for you as an individual and your particular needs and circumstances.

It’s also to an extent a social construct - if other people believe something to be luxurious/it’s defined to be so socially then that’s how we think of it, rather than putting our own personal interpretation on it.

I think it’s time for me to Redefine Luxury. I’m going to own it for myself, find my own versions of Luxury and be resilient in the face of appearing 'boring’.

I'm going to make Luxury my own construct...

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Jil Shi

Written by

Jil Shi

I write about life, insights, emotions, minimalism and other things that inspire me. Author of Poems from Decluttering My Life: http://amzn.eu/56tiJwF

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