Mindfully Stylish 🌷

Walking back along the canal from a good friend’s housewarming this evening, I am reminded that Autumn is often the perfect time for reflection, somehow more so than New Year, which I often take as planning for what’s to come rather than looking at everything that’s been and gone. Autumn is a whole season of saying goodbye ~ to the Summer, to the leaves, to the wildlife who hibernate or fly south for the Winter, to longer days. What a joy the soft sunshine plays as it lights upon these shadowy paths…

Embankment Gardens. How many years have passed since I took these pictures. How much has changed. These were taken in 2017, the first year of my Masters degree that I would abandon for health reasons the following term. I would find my way here in pauses between lectures, tapping slightly erratically along the pavement and through the fallen leaves in my kitten heels and cut-off tights and baggy jeans. I wonder how many tears this pool of water has seen, how many students the fountain has calmed, like it did for me?

Anyway, many years later, here I am. Older, and for the very first time since everything happened I can actually say, ever so tentatively, that I feel a sense of steadiness beneath my feet that wasn’t there before. And this leads me in a slightly eschewed way to the Ancient Greeks, Aristotle and Socrates, who have really helped me on my journey ~ I wanted to share them with you here, in the hope they might help you too.

Socrates said ‘Know thyself’, a reclaimed edict from an inscription on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi which scholars now argue meant ‘Know your limitations ~ know you are mortal and not divine!’ rather than an encouragement to self-exploration. But Socrates made self-inquiry and self-knowledge central to his philosophical practice and I am so glad he did, because it has guided me these past years into getting to know the root of who I am, which is extremely complicated and ever-changing on the surface but, I hope, with some sort of childlike lightness at her core.

Aristotle, Socrates’ student, expanded on his teacher’s words: ‘To know thyself is the beginning of all wisdom’, and I agree. The reason I think this is so important is because it gives you the foundation upon which to build a pleasurable life ~ you get to know your likes and dislikes, what makes you tick, what you do for work and what you fill your spare time with that actually brings you joy. For I strongly believe we are here to experience both growth and enjoyment ~ getting to know and recognising happiness in the small things makes accessing a contented and even, dare I say it, happy state easier. I would argue that this kind of education is just as important as what we are taught in school. As Aristotle says, ‘Education is bitter, but the fruit is sweet’, and it certainly is this.

So, let’s start with something simple. I was 29 before I asked myself what genuinely brought me joy. I am now 34 and I can say with some certainty that I know more than I ever have and I want to keep learning. Having a morning routine is key, apps like Habit (currently £4.99 per year) and Finch (currently £39.99 per year) are really helpful and have been life-changing for me. Having a daily to do list that includes things you actually want to do on it is also pivotal, not just brushing your teeth and cleaning the kitchen. Examples might be breath work, affirmations and gratitude lists…with a huge ceramic mug of steaming hot vanilla coffee with butterscotch syrup in it to accompany you on your way (those might be some of mine). Incidentally, if you want to jazz up your morning coffee and inject it with a little bit of joy, I highly recommend these syrups that I found, they do so many different flavours and come in smaller bottles so they’re more affordable too! Hope you’ve enjoyed these little tips from me to you 😊

In Love&Light, FS XOX