Season 6 of The Simple Sophisticate is well underway as 2019 wraps up and we head into 2020. As I reflect back to September 2014 when the show premiered, I could not have fathomed the engagement it would inspire, the topics and books we would cover and explore nor the people who would wish to be on the show.

This year, Apple changed its categories for podcasts, and in so doing prompted me to reconsider how to label the show for new and potential listeners, which turned out to be a boon for the show and new listeners discovering it.

With the help of you, the listeners the podcast and readers of TSLL, the selections that were decided upon (#1— Education: Self-Improvement; #2 — Society & Culture; #3 — Leisure: Home & Garden) in no small part contributed to the podcast reaching #33 in the United States’ ALL-Time Self-Improvement podcasts. And, as the podcast has a strong Francophile following, when episode #269 – 32 Ways to Be Parisian Chic went live earlier this month, the podcast soared to #5 for the daily Self-Improvement podcasts.

As listeners share how and when they listen to the show — while running the NYC marathon, while spring cleaning, while starting the day in Australia, while commuting via car or train or subway, while walking/running with their pups, while strolling along a river in the European countryside, while strolling through a park throughout the vast United States, while winding down at the end of the day in a cozy abode in Canada, and in so many countries around the globe as listeners go about their lives (the show ranked #16 in South Africa, #12 in Hong Kong, #23 in Romania, #6 in Oman, and #2 in Spain!) — I am humbled as well as tickled to realize how TSLL community stretches far and wide, but more so how similiar we are no matter where we call home regarding our interests to live a life of contentment, a life of deep joy and understanding of the world around us as we strive to contribute positively to its future as we savor the everyday moments.

How to rankings work? The combination of number of downloads and positive reviews and rankings drive up a show on the charts, and for both of these contributions by listeners, I want to say thank you. So many of you have left positive reviews and high rankings, and as I try to share all of the reviews, sprinkling a few in each podcast episode, thank you for your time to share specifically what draws you to the show. (you can leave a review here on Apple iTunes)

Now to the top 10 episodes of 2019 based on the number of downloads.

10.

34 Inspiring Daily Rituals to Ignite Your Creativity, episode #255

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9.

Celebrating the JOMO and Enjoying Your Unique Chosen Life Journey, episode #251

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8.

How to Create a Beckoning Sanctuary That Reflects Your Life Journey, episode #250

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7.

A Lesson, for Women Especially, to Learn Sooner, episode #249

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6.

22 French Beauty Secrets Worth the Investment in either time or money, episode #258

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5.

Why Not . . . Tailor Your Life to Fit You? , episode #246

A well-designed life is a life that makes sense . . . a marvelous portfolio of experiences, of adventures, of failures that taught you important lessons, of hardships that made you stronger and helped you know yourself better, and of achievements and satisfactions.” —Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

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4.

31 Ways to Practice True Self-Care and Exponentially Improve the Quality of Your Life, episode #242

Mary Beth Janssen describes in her 2017 The Book of Self-Care, “No amount of massages, hot baths, aromatherapy, healthy food or exercise will sustain us over the span of our lives if not experienced from the layer of our being that is pure consciousness.” In other words, there is deeper work that needs to be done, but we can still incorporate these surface, pleasure-finding practices into our self-care regimen.

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3.

36 Ways to Welcome Joie de Vivre into Your Everyday Life, episode #253

“I firmly believe that it’s the little things we do that eventually add up to a happy life. I am not asking you to change everything about the way you live, but perhaps to reconsider a few details of your daily routine. Remember that joie de vivre is not revolutionary —but it is evolutionary.” —Robert Arbor, author of Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday Living

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2.

12 Ways to Make Your Mornings Magical, episode #243

“When you take control of your mornings, you take control of your days. You get to engage with the world under your terms. You can act, instead of react.” —Hal Elrod, Miracle Morning Millionaires

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1.

Attaining the Change You Seek in the New Year, episode #241

“In bringing about genuine inner transformation and change, the Dalai Lama emphasizes the importance of making a sustained effort. It is a gradual process.” —The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.

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The next new episode will go live wherever you listen to podcasts on Monday January 6, 2020. I’ll “see” you in the new year!

~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | YouTube | Spotify

TOP PODCAST EPISODES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS:

Top 10 Episodes of 2015 & Fall/Winter 2014 (the show’s premiere!)