Who wants to be a millionaire? We all do. What does that mean? For me it means not worrying about money, doing what I want and enjoying the luxuries that life has to offer.
As you know from my millionaire series of articles, you don’t have to be a millionaire to live like one. I may not have the bank account, but I can have the attitude; it’s a question of style and context. It’s about opening your perceptions as to the true luxury and richness of your life. Listen to the little things that speak to your soul and set it free in extravagant ways.
Let’s talk about how to use the Internet to feel like a millionaire.
An Internet Millionaire
Today I am saluting the Internet because it has delivered priceless experiences to my life. Consider what a luxury it is to find something out at exactly the moment you need to know it, by pressing a few buttons on your mobile or laptop. In the past, I had to drive to the library and look it up – when I had the time.
As technology changes there will be new, unimaginable wonders. New devices, services, applications, programs, techniques emerge every day. Bring it on! I made the decision to stay up to date technologically for as long as I can. Yes, there’s a learning curve, but I want to embrace new technology because then, instead of saying it’s too hard, or falling behind, I get a new pleasure.
Daily Fresh Flower Delivery
I have the most beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers delivered to me every day. How? On Instagram. Instagram has rocked my world. If you haven’t joined Instagram, maybe by the end of this article you’ll give it a try.
There’s a whole new crop of young florists out there, changing the world of floral design, which used to be a fusty business. These millennial florists happen to be accomplished photographers too, and share with me the most luscious, inspiring arrangements of the day.
Bouquets with refreshing new combinations of flowers. Compelling vases and table landscapes. Interesting installations in gardens and homes. I feast my eyes and soul on the flowers whilst learning new tips and techniques. I try these techniques at home with inexpensive flowers I’ve picked up at Costco or the supermarket.
I Travel Year-Round, Around the World
Ah wanderlust, I have it bad. Or rather I have it good! I’d love to go on safari in South Africa, eat authentic saffron risotto in Milan where it was created and stream through Norwegian fjords on a cruise ship. But…
I don’t travel as much as I’d like to because travel is expensive. However, I do get an authentic, incredible travel thrill every day, okay, several times a day. The “insta” in Instagram puts me in touch with life as it is lived all around the world. I feel connected and in the moment. It’s truly a vacation of the mind; armchair travel at its best.
Up close and personal: sipping a cafe crème in a Paris cafe or dangling my feet on a lake in Patagonia. I’m with a herd of buffalo on the range in Montana, followed by sunrise on the Ganges. Next, I’m riding a dogsled in Alaska, and then swinging in a cable car up to Table Mountain in Cape Town. I’m nursing a Negroni in Venice. As I gaze, I take notes on destinations, hotels and restaurants for future trips.
What’s Cooking?
One of my most acute memories of being the mother of young children was the question that besieged me every day: “What should I cook for dinner?” There was no Internet back then. But today, thanks to Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook – I am delivered menu ideas and recipes through beckoningly beautiful photographs that I want to eat right then and there. I get inspired, fired up and cook!
The quality and variety of food in my home, and my excitement for cooking, is definitely heightened thanks to wonderful food bloggers whose lives are dedicated to enticing me with wonderful things to make, bake and enjoy.
Harvard, Tuition Free
Instead of spending great sums of money to attend lectures and seminars at prestigious universities, I’m doing it online, in real time, for free. I recently took a Beethoven Sonata course on Coursera.com with a famous pianist at the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. I can’t always attend the Women in the World Summit in New York City every April, but the event is live streamed over the entire three days. I invite my friends and turn my house into a mini conference hall as we participate from afar.
A Decorator and Planner for Free!
I can’t afford a decorator to help me update my home. But, a world of possibilities opens up when I go on Pinterest. I’m inspired with new ideas and then advised as to how to make it all happen. Same goes for party planning. Party themes, table settings, recipes, gift wrapping – it’s all there for me to enjoy and profit from.
Community and Intimacy
Contrary to people who believe the Internet is an alienating presence, robbing us from local community, and making us feel solitary as we sit alone cruising, I find the Internet has delivered tremendous community and connection to my life. I find like-minded people and I’ve even made two seriously significant friends on the Internet. The Internet brings my distant family and friends close, through chatting, messaging, emailing and the sharing of photos and videos.
Internet, you make me feel like a million!
In what new ways has the Internet enhanced your life? Do you have any favorite apps or programs to share? We’re listening and reading, below!
