I’m slow to the game. Apparently, this idea of romanticizing your life has been around for years, but I just stumbled on it in the last few months. I have to say, it’s quite a charming idea, isn’t it?
Basically like a 2024 version of hygge? Not that it’s the same thing as hygge, but it’s the current thing influencing our lifestyles and homes.
Here are some descriptions I found for romanticizing your life:
a trend about celebrating yourself and making even the most ordinary day feel extraordinary
the act of idealizing or creating a fantasy around life experiences, emotions, and relationships.
cultivating a positive and optimistic mindset
finding beauty and meaning in everyday experiences
focusing on the present moment
you’re basically acting out a gratitude journal.
And best I can tell, this TikTok video really got the ball rolling.
In it, she says, “You have to start thinking of yourself as the main character. Because if you don’t, life will continue to pass you by. And all the little things that make it so beautiful will continue to go unnoticed.”
I don’t know about you, but I can see a glimmer of Biblical truth in this. It’s just buried beneath a dead-end search for meaning.
My favorite show in the world is Frasier. If you don’t know the premise, it’s about Frasier and his brother Niles (and others!) who are two pampered and petty peas in a pod. They are contrasted by their laid-back dad, Martin. I love the show because their problems are of the first-world variety and they are (I choose to believe 😜) more high-maintenance than me. One phrase I hope to introduce you to that you can use in the future as you find yourself in high-maintenance moments is “hothouse orchid”. Here’s the scene it comes from.
Martin: I heard that!
Frasier: Well, of course, you heard it. You're never out of earshot!
Martin: Oh, you know, you've always been like this. You were always a fussy little kid and it's gotten worse ever since. You and your precious morning routine. You've got to have your coffee, you got to have your quiet, you got to have this, you got to have that. Well, aren't you a little hothouse orchid?
I won’t tell you the number of times Tyler or I refer to myself as a hothouse orchid.
I love my routines. I love increasing the level of comfort or delight in any opportunity. That’s one reason this idea of romanticizing our lives feels so fun to me! Adding delight to everyday things? Adding beauty to the mundane parts of life? Why not?
BUT before we start romanticizing our breakfasts and weekends and living rooms, I want us to consider this: