The French are famous for the sayings “joie de vivre” which means feeling immense joy for everyday things. Similar to stopping to smell the roses, joie de vivre can come from many different sources like food, conversation or just atmosphere. If you’d like to add a few more meaningful moments to your life, here are four feel-good ways to do it.
Prepare Yourself Good Food
There’s nothing quite as good for the soul as a delicious meal. When selecting ingredients for your home-cooked dishes, choose farm fresh dairy, quality meats and seasonal fruits and vegetables at the peak of ripeness. Make your kitchen a pleasure to be in with quality pots and pans, exquisite French kitchen furniture and vibrant dish towels. You’ll savor every minute of the food you cooked and the process of preparing it.
Take Your Time
Everyone is in such a hurry to get everywhere and they seldom know what to do once they get there. It’s much more purposeful to slow down and enjoy the ride. Instead of hurrying off to work every morning, get up a few minutes earlier and enjoy a cup of coffee in the stillness of the day. Slowing down a bit in life helps you to take in every detail and remember things better. It also forces you to think things over and improves your decision making.
Buy Yourself Flowers
Have you ever gone by flowers at the market and wished someone would buy you some? Have that someone be you! A bouquet of beautiful flowers can lift your mood for days. They’ll look lovely on your table and make you happy every time you walk by. Even if you can’t think of a reason to buy flowers, you don’t really need one, so treat yourself because you deserve it.
Live in the Present
In life, there are two very dangerous places to live; one is in the past. The other is stuck worrying about the future. The only place you’ll find true happiness is in the here and now. Staying present takes a lot of practice, but if you can master it, you’ll be a happier person. You’re exactly where you should be, so rejoice in the moment.
Appreciate the Little Things
Appreciating the little things in life and staying grounded in the present are two sure pathways to happiness. Joie de vivre doesn’t take a lot of effort to master and it’s completely free to do at any time. In today’s world, that’s a rare combination.
