Pursuing elegance. How to be more elegant. Part 3

What does elegance mean to you?

In the previous two parts of the Pursuing Elegance series I’ve already mentioned that elegance can be defined in various ways. To each of us, elegance means something else. The term itself can be explained as cultivated beauty and taste.

However, there is much more to elegance than simply looking pretty and classic or wearing dresses. Elegance is a lifestyle. It comes from within, from the work you put in yourself. It’s about the attitude and mindset towards mundane days.

Pursuing elegance costs you nothing, yet you earn so much when applied to your everyday life.

Read more

• Pursuing elegance. How to be more elegant. Part 1
• Pursuing elegance. How to be more elegant. Part 2
• Sunday Serenity: Budget-friendly Ideas How to Unwind on Sunday

Pursuing elegance

Elegance is the mindful behaviour you practise each day. It’s restraining yourself from falling back into the old habits. It means working on yourself to become a better you. The want to live your life mindfully and beautifully for you.  It has nothing to do with pleasing other people or impressing them.

Let me present you with a new selection of simple daily habits and tips on being more elegant and to live a better elegant life regardless of your budget. 

Don’t litter

I’ve never understood people who think it’s normal to litter in public, anywhere they feel like. Especially in nature. Trash cans are in certain places for some reason. And if you can’t find any, hold it in your hand until you find some or keep it in your purse and throw it away at home. Littering isn’t elegant, nor polite at all.

Don’t waste

There’s also nothing elegant or ecological when it comes to wasting anything. The elegant woman doesn’t waste anything because she knows how to save up. If you are guilty of wasting your food, try eating smaller portions or plan and prepare your meals in advance. Limit your grocery shopping if you still have many items in your fridge. Consume the items with shorter expiration dates sooner.

When it comes to cosmetics, there’s usually still a lot of the product inside the packaging (especially inside the tubes) even when you think there’s none left. Try cutting off the upper part of the tube and you see there’s still a lot of the product left. Until you run the product, you can use the upper part of the tube as a lid. But if you already cut the packaging, remember to use the product as soon as possible.

Elegant lady is thankful for everything she has.

Impulsive spending

When it comes to money and finances in general, elegant lady doesn’t spend her money without thinking about it. She’s a master of budgeting. She doesn’t spend her money impulsively or on trends. She especially doesn’t spend the money she doesn’t have. Being in a debt isn’t elegant at all.

Save up for the unexpected

You shouldn’t be stuck in the past and shouldn’t be too focused on the future. To be present and enjoy the moment. That’s the key to happiness. But you have to think of your future, too. Life is unpredictable. And you shouldn’t be surprised much when something happens. You can’t be ready for or predict everything. That’s why you should have an emergency fund for any occasion.

What if you lose your job? What if anything at your home breaks? What if you will have to move somewhere else in a short time? Will you be able to afford it? And that’s only a few questions that came to my mind.

Practise gratitude

An elegant lady is always grateful. For the good and for the bad, because she knows that everything shall pass. Through every mistake and negative experience, she learns a new life lesson. She won’t make the same mistake twice.

She knows that she has everything she needs right now and that everything she wants awaits her in the future. She knows there are many other people who can’t afford such luxuries as she currently can. And if anything negative in her life happens, it shall and will pass. Always. The grass isn’t greener on the other side.

Don’t overshare

When you overshare, you may not mean any harm by saying certain things, but at the same time, it may not be the best idea to do so. Especially if you tell too much to people, who you don’t know in person or for a longer time.

If you want to get to know someone, the best way is to wait. Time will eventually show who to believe and who not to. But if you assume stuff sooner in the relationship, it can be a mistake. It may cause you not only your inner peace but some personal information leaking, too.

People who overshare are not so interesting and mysterious to get to know anymore. It ruins the whole game of getting to know each other slowly, step by step. It may sound harsh, but that’s the truth. If a person shares a lot of information on the first few dates, there’s almost nothing or very less left to actually explore thorough the relationship.

Don’t spill someone else’s tea

An elegant lady not only doesn’t overshares, she also – by any means – doesn’t spill someone else’s tea to the others. She can keep a secret. Personal information of other people is sacred to her.

Enjoy the presence of others

If you take people for granted, you can be unpleasantly surprised when they leave your life. Some people are blinded by the thought that people in their lives will stay there forever. But do people change, move to other countries, live their life the way they want to, die … And you can’t do anything about that. To put it simply, that’s life.

It may be a sad life lesson to experience, but at the same time, it teaches you the importance of others in your life. To take people around you for granted is a huge mistake that can leave you paralysed in the end. That’s why it’s best to enjoy any mutual moment together because the memories will always stay.

Superiority complex

An elegant lady doesn’t believe she’s superior to anyone. She doesn’t make a difference. She treats everyone equally. To her, everyone is worth her nice, gentle, loving and understanding demeanour. You should also not judge the book by its cover. You don’t know what the other person has gone through.

Keep your word

Just by looking at an elegant lady, you can say she keeps her word. She’s punctual and appreciates the time of other people. She’s never late, except for a few occasions when it’s not her fault. She keeps secrets and doesn’t spill the tea. She’s not a part of the gossip girl club. She’s reliable and responsible for her behaviour and actions. People can depend on her with ease. When she says something, she means it.