How to get a life of luxury?

Now and then, it’s important to stop and get a little perspective on life.

Humans are complex creatures. We do not think like any other species. We can be hungry but not feel like eating. We can spend an evening bickering over what to have for dinner, only to settle on the first meal suggested. We complain that our mobile phones need an upgrade, wasting hours deliberating on which new one to get.

Examining these statements in context makes it clear just how privileged we are! All of these choices are luxuries we take for granted.

Take a lion, in contrast. A lion doesn’t have these choices. It doesn’t sit with a menu pondering whether to have a zebra or antelope with a side of buffalo. The lion stalks its land, hoping to find food, grateful to find anything to feed itself.

We need to be more lion, grateful and present.

What is it about luxuries that make us want them so bad?

When people think about luxuries, they consider their cost. To be a luxury, something must be expensive enough that not everyone can afford it or extremely rare. Luxuries give people a sense of exclusivity as if they are unique. The more expensive, the more exclusive, the more luxurious, and the more desired.

Imagine being a kid at school, and one of your classmates has a swimming pool. Imagine how envious the other kids would be. Imagine if everyone could afford a swimming pool. The other kids wouldn’t be so impressed, and it would no longer feel like a luxury.

How about when the first mobile phones came out, those huge brick-like devices you see in 80s movies? They were the height of luxury as so few people had them. Not today; every Tom, Dick and Harry has a mobile phone.

Luxury, as we know it, is about perception, price tag and popularity. However, we don’t all consider the same things to be luxuries. Every person is different. We think differently, with different likes and dislikes. With that in mind, luxury should be subjective, not determined by other people's perception of luxury, price tag, or popularity. The truth is, we are surrounded by so many luxuries from the moment we wake up.....

You wake up in the morning in your home. You’re cosy and warm in a comfortable bed with a pillow and a duvet. Not too cold. Not too hot. The temperature is perfect. It’s raining outside, but you wouldn’t know it in the comfort of your home. You get out of your bed and turn on the light. It’s dark outside. You walk to the bathroom and turn on the tap. Fresh, clean water runs freely from the tap, and just as easily, you turn the tap off and the water flow stops. You brush your teeth sparkly clean with an electric toothbrush and toothpaste. You jump in the shower, and the water temperature is perfect. You choose an outfit to wear and head to the fridge to select something to eat. You don’t fancy what’s in the fridge, so you head to the cupboards for a snack instead. More choices. You’re not really hungry, so you decide eating can wait; the food isn’t going anywhere. Finally, you head to the living room, slump into the sofa and turn on the TV to watch the news. The cooker, the washing machine, the dishwasher, the cleaner that comes every other week, none of that impresses you; it’s just part of your everyday life.

Many people dream of a life with a roof over their heads, warmth, comfort, electricity, clean water, and access to it whenever they want. However, to many, this is just standard.

Some people spend their whole lives chasing luxury and even resort to a life of crime to achieve it. Others spend thousands of pounds chasing the “dream” of luxury, only to amass endless debt. People will even marry for money, regardless of their feelings for that person, just to get a life of luxury.

How happy can you be chasing luxury? Luxury items have a sell-by date; when a new version comes, it will replace it. Chasing this type of so-called life is expensive and exhausting. Many get caught in a vicious spend circle.