The Art of Romanticizing Your Life

I’m very open about the fact that I romanticize my life. It doesn’t embarrass me or make me feel immature. It’s quite the opposite. It feels like I’m being very responsible, and protective of myself, by seeing the best in every situation. Seeking it, actually. 

I am constantly, actively seeking the best spin on everything.

I aggressively refuse to take things at face value if that value doesn’t align with my vision for the day. It is more than seeing the glass half full or half empty. It goes beyond that. It starts before you even get there.

I’ll give you an example. When you hear the phrase, “glass half empty or half full”, what do you envision? Is it two of those cheap looking glasses you can buy individually at the dollar store, filled with plain still water sitting idly?

Not me. My vision is a light blush colored champagne coupe. A color so subtle you question if the glass itself, or the liquid it holds, carries the soft tint. The water has a slight fizzle at the surface. The kind that lets you know it isn’t plain water, but it will still go down smooth, not like you’re drinking flavorless soda. And, of course, there’s a garnish. Not only a lemon slice, but a fancy lemon slice. You know how bartenders do that trick where they manipulate the lemon slice to twirl in a way that defies gravity? That’s my glass.

And that’s how I treat life. I try to get excited about everything, unapologetically. It’s fun to be excited. And what better to get excited about than your life?

I am undoubtedly the person who makes new year’s resolutions and proclaims every January kickstarts the best year of my life. Why wouldn’t I? I mean seriously, what are the alternatives? To go into the year believing, “This is just gonna be another okay year. Nothing fantastic. Nothing too grand.”

Seriously, why would you do that? Where is the excitement in that cheap ass dollar store glass?

If the key to happiness is always having something to look forward to, shouldn’t we strive to believe that every day is going to be better than the last? And that every bad moment is simply setting us up for something better? 

If you had the superpower to see the world with rose colored lenses, why would you ever take them off? To humble yourself to the harshness of the world? To prepare yourself for the inevitable disappointment to come?

Spoiler. There is no amount of preparation or expectedness that softens the blow of disappointment. Hurt will always hurt enough. You do not need to strengthen it. 

If you already possess the power of rose-colored lenses, wear them. If you are not sure if you have the power, or question its existence, hear me out. It’s in the details, just like my glass visualization.

Start to pay more attention to the things that work out. Don’t hold back celebrations. Treat every good thing that happens to you as a reason to celebrate. Every smile. Every green light. Every empty elevator. Every unexpected discount. Every last bag of your favorite coffee. Every recognition. Every flower bloomed. Every workout completed. Every birthday. Every new year. Every weekend. Every Monday.

Soon, you’ll be celebrating so often that the less fortunate times are unconsciously demoted from a starring role to reoccurring character. There’s no removing them from your life, but you can decrease their impact. 

If I handed you a rose colored champagne coupe half-filled to perfection, with a fancy lemon garnish and a slight fizzle floating atop, would you complain? Of course not, because you can appreciate the finer things in life. You’re not a cheap ass dollar store glass.

XOXO