How To Romanticize Your Life--Denise

 

    I love being a teenage girl. Obsessing over the little things like new shoes or the smell of rain.

That feeling of enthusiasm is commonly known as “romanticizing your life”. It is a mindset that

I have conditioned myself to be in for almost two years now and would like to share some of the

steps I took to get where I am now. I have developed seven structured steps on how to

romanticize your life and how it proves to help you love every day like it's your last. These steps

will go over how to Live the life you have- not the one you think you need, have that Main

character energy, be able to Slow down and live in the present, and Practice gratitude. Because

we are only given one life. Just one. I am going to teach you how to make this one count. All

you’ll need is a notebook, pen, an open mindset, and possibly a comfortable outfit because you

will be here for a while.

    The first step you need to take is to forget everything you know about romanticism from

your favorite influencers. Mainstream social media has always promoted hustle culture and

constant productivity or growth to achieve your dream life. Romanticizing your life challenges

this by encouraging people to embrace the quiet period or as I like to call it: the mundane. The

most common misconception is that you need to live an extravagant lifestyle and do

extraordinary things to be able to romanticize your life. But the truth is that romanticization is all

about falling in love with who you are and finding joy, peace, and comfort in the life you already

have.

    The second step is to have “main character energy”. What this means is that you are the

star of your life. Embracing the main character's energy mindset and romanticizing your life go

hand-in-hand. The main character naturally attract and fascinate people because of the positive

energy they radiate, their optimized outlook on life, and their ability to “ seize the day”

Typically, the main characters in movies know that they can't always control what happens to

them, but they can control how they will react to it. Another thing they do is see every day as a

new beginning. Maybe things didn't go as planned yesterday, well today is an opportunity to start

fresh and try again! One last thing you should practice learning about this step is that life isn't

linear. What I am implying is that experiencing tough times is completely normal. These

situations help us learn and grow. It is how one handles it that truly defines the rest of your story.

The third step to romanticize your life focuses more on the goals you set for yourself.

Challenge yourself by stepping outside of your comfort zone. Yes, it can be scary, but what good

is character development without the risk? A case study from the University of

Washington(2006) found that 95% of all business entrepreneurs that are faced with risks fail

before they are successful in their company. In short, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

So take the risk anyway.

    The next step I loved creating is based on the classic 1986 movie: Ferris Bueller’s day

off. I was inspired by the quote Ferris says that goes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop

and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” What I pulled from this, is that during this

step, you need to slow down and be in the present. Small moments are what truly make life

beautiful and sometimes you just need to slow down to find them. For instance, Spend a few

minutes just focusing on your breathing and sitting in silence. Allow yourself to feel whatever

emotions you are feeling in the moment without attaching any judgment to it. Give yourself the

compassion to peacefully enjoy slow days and restful moments without punishing yourself for it.

Set aside time each day to detox from your devices and be completely offline.

    The fifth and most significant step I give to you is to Practice gratitude. A huge aspect of

romanticization is learning to appreciate and love the life you already have and everything in it.

Comparison is the thief of joy. There will always be someone with more and less than you.

Comparison requires spending energy and time on bringing ourselves down when we could be

using that energy to uplift ourselves instead. A Lot of the things you have or are doing now are

things that a past version of yourself could have never imagined. Give yourself more credit for

all that you’ve already accomplished. I highly recommend you take a few minutes each day to

physically write a short gratitude list or mentally make one before you start your day or after.

    For the sixth step, you will need to fall in love with your routine. Your routines can set

the tone for how the rest of your day unfolds. You can make even the mundane moments an

experience by making them feel extra grand and special rather than something you just do.

What's important is that you are doing small things in your routine that make you feel your best.

Whether that simply be going to the grocery store or getting ready in the morning. You can easily

put on an outfit that makes you feel good and shop while listening to your favorite playlist.

    My last and final step is called dating yourself. The reason why I would like to end my

instructions on how to romanticize your life by metaphorically dating yourself is that you are all

you need. Without sounding selfish or self-centered, I believe that the very most important thing

in life is to fulfill your hopes and dreams before you wish to support anyone else. Do not wait for

the items you want from others. There is no shame in buying yourself flowers, taking yourself

out on solo dates, or just treating yourself to something you have been wanting for a while. Take

care of yourself by being outdoors. Fresh air and some sunlight can do wonders for anxiety and

stress. It's also an easy way to get you off your phone for a bit. Uplift your mornings by playing

your favorite serotonin-boosting music as soon as you wake up to start the day in a good mood.

Try something new whether that's a new hobby, class, or restaurant. Experiencing things for the

first time can be exciting and rewarding. Most importantly, have a self-care day. Resting and

recharging look different than a break and doing things that make you happy and fulfilled.

    With all things considered, I truly hope to have successfully instructed you on the ways

of my mindset and taught you something about yourself you didn't realize before. If you take

notes mentally or physically, I guarantee you will see a difference and cherish the world around

you. Remember to always love yourself and the life you live because we all have one chance to

make it remarkable. Until then, rehearse these steps daily and share your progress with others.