The Tuesday That Changed My Perspective
It was a Tuesday.
Not just any Tuesday—Taco Tuesday, one of my favorite little rituals of joy. I was on my way to meet a girlfriend for lunch, soaking up the small but sweet pleasure of a midday outing in my work-live-play community.
And then, I saw her.
My neighbor.
Dressed to the nines.
Not just cute, not just stylish—she looked like she was stepping out for a red carpet event.
Her makeup was flawless. Her dress? Glorious. Not just “nice”—luxurious. The kind of dress that turns heads, that makes you feel like you’ve arrived, that you normally wait for a special occasion to wear.
Immediately, I lit up.
“Girl, where are you going?!” I asked, excited for whatever magical event she was headed to.
She laughed, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. “The grocery store.”
I fell out. I mean, we laughed.
Because surely, she was joking.
But she wasn’t.
She looked me dead in my eyes and said something that I will never forget:
“Life is for the living, and that means we live.”
She went on to tell me that she had been eyeing that dress in her closet all last week, waiting for the “right” moment to wear it.
And then, that morning, she decided: The right moment is now.
She had errands to run. Groceries to buy. And she thought, why not wear the dress?
And in that moment, something shifted in me.
Because how many times have we waited?
Waited to use the fancy dishes.
Waited to wear the beautiful dress.
Waited to burn the expensive candle.
Waited for a reason to enjoy what we already have.
Joy Is Not Meant to Be Delayed
We’ve been taught to save things for “special occasions.”
The good perfume. The one that sits in the box because you don’t want to “waste” it.
The expensive shoes. The ones you’ve had for a year but haven’t worn yet because you’re waiting for the “right event.”
The fine china. Sitting in a cabinet, untouched, waiting for a dinner party that never comes.
But what if today is the special occasion?
What if right now is enough of a reason?
The Myth of “Waiting for the Right Time”
For years, I lived by the “save it for later” mindset.
- I saved outfits for some unknown future event that would justify them.
- I saved candles, afraid to use them because they were “too nice.”
- I saved experiences, telling myself, I’ll do that when I have more time, more money, more reasons to celebrate.
And then one day, I realized: Life does not wait.
Yes, we prepare for the future. Yes, we plan for security. But in doing so, we cannot forget to live now.
Finding Joy in the Now—Not Just the Future
My husband and I often talk about this balance:
What does it look like to enjoy life now while still preparing for our future?
For so long, we were taught to sacrifice everything in the present for the sake of security later.
“Don’t splurge now—save for the future.”
“You don’t need that trip—think about retirement.”
“Stay focused on building, building, building.”
And don’t get me wrong—I believe in being financially smart. I believe in building generational wealth. But I also believe that joy is a part of wealth.
There has to be space for both.
You invest in your future.
You experience your present.
You don’t have to choose one over the other.
How to Stop Waiting & Start Living Now
If you’ve been putting joy on hold, it’s time to change that.
Here’s how you can start embracing the happiness that’s already available to you:
1️⃣ Wear the Dress (Or the Shoes, Or the Jewelry) Just Because
Go in your closet right now and pull out something you’ve been saving for “the right moment.”
💎 The earrings you bought but never wore? Put them on today.
👠 The shoes that have never touched pavement? Wear them to brunch.
👗 That dress you’ve been waiting to debut? Take yourself to lunch in it.
You are the special occasion.
2️⃣ Burn the Candle—Your Home Deserves Luxury Too
If you bought an expensive candle, light it.
✨ If you have silk sheets, put them on your bed.
✨ If you have wine glasses but always drink from plastic cups, upgrade your moment.
✨ If you have fancy bath oils, take the bath.
Enjoying your space isn’t wasting—it’s experiencing.
3️⃣ Stop Saving Experiences for “One Day”
We wait for birthdays, holidays, or big events to do something special.
🚀 Why not take the trip now?
🎉 Why not plan the dinner party now?
💃🏾 Why not have a dance night in your living room—tonight?
Stop waiting for a milestone. Live now.
4️⃣ Find Joy in the Everyday Moments
Joy isn’t always in the big things. Sometimes, it’s in:
☕ Sipping coffee slowly, not rushing out the door.
🍷 Pouring a glass of wine and watching the sunset.
🌸 Walking outside just to feel the sun on your skin.
🎶 Playing your favorite song and dancing in your kitchen.
Happiness isn’t something you achieve—it’s something you allow yourself to experience.
What Happens When You Start Living Like This?
The moment I saw my neighbor strutting down the street in her grocery store ballgown, I knew:
This is how I want to live.
And since then, I have.
I’ve stopped waiting.
I’ve stopped saving joy for later.
I’ve stopped telling myself that luxury, pleasure, and celebration need a reason.
The reason? I am alive today.
So I ask you:
👉 What have you been saving for “one day” that you can enjoy right now?
- Is it a trip?
- A dress?
- A dinner reservation?
- A candle?
- A moment of peace?
Whatever it is—give yourself permission to have it.
Because life is happening now.
And you deserve to live every beautiful, joyful, abundant moment of it.
Let’s talk about it inside Wealthy Women Conversations—because we are choosing joy, choosing luxury, choosing now.#SlowerWealthierHappier
#BlackGirlMagic
#SlowLiving
#SoftLiving
#The92%
#WearTheDress
#BurnTheCandle
#LiveNow
Slower, Wealthier, Happier 
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