71. Little Habits That Create an Elegant Life

In this episode of Manners and Other Matters, Louise Percy explores the true meaning of elegance and why it has little to do with designer labels, glamorous lifestyles or outward appearances.

Drawing on decades of teaching etiquette and personal development through The Art of an Elegant Life Masterclass, Louise shares how elegance begins with self-respect, kindness and the small rituals that bring beauty and calm to everyday life.

From morning routines and mindful transitions to evening reflections and the importance of dining well, this episode is an invitation to slow down, embrace simplicity and discover the elegance that already exists within each of us.

Because true elegance isn't something we acquire. It is something we quietly live.

Show notes: https://thepercyinstitute.com/little-habits-that-create-an-elegant-life/

I'd love to hear from you. Please leave your comments, or ask me any questions here: https://thepercyinstitute.com/contact/

Join Louise in the pursuit of a more elegant life, and be sure to visit  her website thepercyinstitute.com for more ideas and inspiration. Follow @thepercyinstitute on Instagram and Facebook, and join the Facebook Group, The Elegance Club for exclusive offers and insights.

Resources and links:

• THE ART OF AN ELEGANT LIFE MASTERCLASS:
  https://thepercyinstitute.com/the-art-of-an-elegant-lifestyle/
• Complimentary Guide to Successful Networking: https://subscribepage.io/shinelikeadiamond
• The Percy Institute website: https://thepercyinstitute.com/
• The Elegance Club Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepercyinstitute
• The Percy Institute Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepercyinstitut...

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Thank you for joining Manners and Other Matters, the podcast which brings you all the insights you need to navigate the intricate world of modern manners and elegant living. I'm your host, Louise Percy, and I'm delighted to be your guide on this journey towards a more refined and gracious way of life. I'm here to share my knowledge and insights with you, and I will also be bringing in a lineup of experts from the worlds of etiquette and elegant living to share their wisdom and experiences. The art of etiquette isn't just about following a set of rigid traditional rules. It's about fostering meaningful relationships, both in your personal and professional life. Whether you're dining with colleagues, entertaining guests, or simply striving for a more elegant lifestyle. Subscribe to Manners and Other Matters today, and let's explore the world of etiquette, manners, and the pursuit of elegance together. Hello and welcome back to Manners and Other Matters. And if you're a first-time listener, pull up a chair. Have a glass of wine, depending on where you are, or a coffee or a tea. My name's Louise Percy, and I'm going to talk to you today about the concept of elegance. Not the elegance which requires Chanel handbags and attending very glamorous shows, but the elegance which comes within. I feel very strongly, and I talk to many guests who join my Artum and Elegant Life Masterclass, which is my signature program, about the fact that we all have elegance within us. We don't need to have those accoutrements, but we still sometimes need to have the confidence to allow that elegance to come forward. There's a lovely quote from one of my favourite authors, Paul Coello, and he says elegance is usually confused with superficiality, fashion, and a lack of depth. This is a serious mistake. Human beings need to have elegance in their actions. Now I believe in this because I think elegance and etiquette are uniquely joined by the concepts of having self and mutual respect for others, empathy, respect again, but with regard to courtesy and certainly kindness. You don't need a big complicated life to feel more elegant. You don't need a big overhaul of your life to feel more elegant. It's really the small details that add up to an elegant self and life. It can honestly be as simple as choosing presence over autopilot. And we do that so much these days, don't we? We we sort of get up, we have our rituals, we go on to autopilot because we think we're being efficient. But one little habit, one little decision, and one little moment at a time can allow your natural elegance to come through in the way you live your life. One of the things I've practiced over about the last thirty years are elegant morning rituals. How you begin your morning can set the tone for the rest of your day. Yet so many of us, particularly in this day of screen time, start on autopilot with no intention. It's so easy and habitual, and I have been I have been guilty of this, to roll over and reach for our phone, rush through routines, or to start the day reacting to the world before we've even grounded ourselves. We've been told relentlessly that time is a luxury we don't always have. But I don't believe that. Our mornings don't need to be too long or too elaborate for us to feel elegant. A small shift in pace or intention could be all that's credited and needed to bring some calm, beauty, and self-honour, some presence, some self-presence to the moments of our days. I've just finished a group Zoom call with members of my most recent The Art of an Elegant Life masterclass. And I gave them these questions that I'm going to get responses to via email over the course of the next week or two. But the question that I asked them this time was, what does the start of your day currently look and feel like?

SPEAKER_01 5:37

Is it rushed? Calm or reactive?

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Numb and beginning with phone scrolling. How might you like to feel it instead? And I asked my guests in this masterclass, and they ranged from new mothers through to very seasoned business owners, and everyone in between, to actually write a couple of sentences. So I'd like you to do that too for yourself. What small shift could you make your own mornings feel more elegant, even if it just taking a couple of minutes? Try and implement this one thing this week. It doesn't have to be a big change. In fact, it's better if it isn't. But here are some ideas of mine, which I literally started some decades ago, and which have made me feel more elegant and grounded ever since. I wake up half an hour earlier to get ready slowly. I enjoy my morning pot of tea while I do actually scroll so that I know what's happening in the world because I do feel that informative conversation and information is very important. My cup of tea is very important to me. But I also love after I get out of bed, before I start my pleasant routine under the shower, to have a quick stretch. I don't do an enormous exercise regime anymore, but stretching and small weights are very important for me to get going, but it's also part of what I consider my morning ritual. And so we need to have transitions, I think, in our lives. We often think of our routines as what we're doing in the morning or before we go to bed. But these in between moments, the transitions in between, when you're moving from one task to another or one situation to another, whether it's work to home or home to work, or one energy for another. They're often rushed, don't you think, or skipped over? But when we move through our transitions intentionally, and I'm not sure how keen I am on the word intentionally, but I know most of you probably are familiar with it. Let's do it as we want to achieve an outcome, I suppose, is what intentionally means. All these little transitions can become your pinpoints of daily elegance. Whether it's waking up and getting out of bed, starting work or setting up at your desk, stepping away from your laptop for lunch, oh please always do that. Ending your workday with elegance and etiquette, saying farewell to your colleagues. When you get home, switching from outsider to inside model, I always do that. I always change. But because I love cooking for my family and sitting down for a meal with them, I don't just go into clothes that I would wear around the garden. So what I'm going to ask you to think about are are there any transition points in your day that feel rashed or an autopilot? We do all have them. How might you lessen them, elevate them, or turn them into something softer and easier for you? So I always like to, when I come home from work, cook. I know that probably sounds crazy to many of you, but for me it's one of my downtimes, and I love feeding my family. So we do sit down at the table, and even in the years when I've been on my own, I always laid a tray, which I would really enjoy on my lap, even if I was sitting down watching the news. And I always used nice dinnerware and glassware, and I still do. I don't know. Sitting down to have a meal nicely, talking with somebody you care about, about the day, about the world, about the new dog's habits, the cat's habits, whatever it is, is a very nice way of settling yourself into elegant relaxation. What do you think about that? I'm really interested in your comments. I do think that dining is an important part of an elegant day. So depending on what culture you're in, obviously this changes all the time, but I do think that your evenings, once you've got through, whether it's dining with your family or with friends, or with work colleagues, are the perfect time to soften and to be gentle with ourselves. I really take the time in the evening to think about my day, not necessarily to jump to think, what could I have done better?

SPEAKER_01 11:31

But who did I help today? Was I kind? Was I courteous?

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Was I respectful? And quite honestly, if I can say to myself, Yes, Louise, you were today, I really feel that that gentleness works with me until my head hits the pillow. So I'm going to give you another little thought. What might your body or mind be asking for more or even less at the end of your day? What are some ways you could change to end your day to feel more calm, to care and feel cared for instead of just writing your to-do list for the next day? If you would like more information about what I think living an elegant life looks like, away from the beautiful bags and the Monaco Grand Prix, but just for you, please do email me at l.percy at Percy Institute.com and I will send you my elegant habits for everyday life. It's not automated through Instagram or anything else. I promise you, I will reply personally. Thank you so much for listening, and I look forward to speaking with you again soon. Thank you so much for joining me today. Your time and attention are greatly appreciated, and I hope you've found our discussion both enlightening and inspiring. If you've enjoyed our conversation and want to stay connected with us on this journey of elegance and refinement, don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on your favourite podcast platforms. And why not share the wisdom with your friends and family? Etiket is best enjoyed when it's a shared experience, after all. And for all the latest updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and exclusive content, be sure to follow the Percy Institute on Facebook and Instagram. And please also do join my Facebook group. It's called the Elegance Club, and you'll get exclusive offers and bonuses. Remember, the pursuit of a more elegant life is a continuous journey, and I'm delighted to share your journey. Feedback and engagement mean the world to me here, so please keep those comments, questions, and suggestions coming. I love hearing from you. So until next time, my dear listeners, stay graceful, stay kind, and may your life be filled with elegance and joy. Thank you for being a part of Manners and Other Matters. Goodbye for now.