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Bonjour, Happiness !

Jamie Cat Callan

2011.4.1

ISBN-13 : 978-0-8065-3410-7

ISBN-10 : 0-8065-3410-9

..You don’t go overboard, exhausting yourself over the holidays when you make every day an occasion for friendship and family, fun and celebration.

..If we only do something once a month or so and we don’t interact with people, we are not sharing the experience. If our entire family microwaves and cooks individual meals at different, separate times, we miss out on one of the great joys of life.

You are part of something bigger than yourself and when you get into conversations, you learn that we are all connected and the world is, indeed, a very small place. It’s also a very big place.

….if you’ve got boxes of old clothes or gifts that you really don’t like, give them away! Make room for something beautiful to come into your life.

…Observe your world and get into conversations with people. Learn to be a good listener. You are and important presence in your world. Whether you realize it or not, you are an inspiration and make a difference, stand up straight, smile. Dress well, be kind. People are watching.

Be in the moment and be willing to change your plans when something unique and wonderful comes into your life.

..And finally, learn to occasionally just shrug our shoulders and say, “That’s life !”

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust

…It reveals a way of thinking that is not always good for us. The French are able to live in the middle ground, because they don’t go overboard in either direction…They love both, because the love life…all in proper balance !

Open your eyes and notice all the beauty in your world. …Be alive to your world. …Find joy in simple activities.

Ask yourself where you might have gone overboard in one direction or another in your life. Try not to define yourself in terms of teams or sides, such as, “I’m a sporty girl” or “I’m the brainy type.” Look for ways you can be expensive and generous- to yourself, to others, and to the world at large.

We’re never critical, always accepting, but we also know that it’s important to discuss the issues and not be afraid of our excess weight as if it was a terrible monster hiding in the room. This is not only helpful to someone who’s struggling, but it demystifies the process of losing and maintaining weight…beauty comes in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. Let the world know that you want to see a wider range of beauty standards. The world is ready to listen.

Take care of your body for what it is right know and not at some future date when you reach the dream of perfection, your body deserves your love in all its permutations. Take the first step toward accepting your body by dressing it up and taking it out for a walk.

…he looks his companion right in the eye and makes him or her feel as though he or she is the only person in the room. That’s how flirting works : the eye/face/person/ attention is to pure that the person with when on is flirting can’t help but feel special, if only for a moment.

“Dreams are necessary to life.” ~ANAIS

So this is the secret then to joie de vivre : to love yourself for who you are right now-your beautiful, fragile, imperfect self.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

It’s all about confidence. Once you discover this thing that is yours, then it’s yours forever and it makes you strong and it makes you beautiful because you have finally learned to love who you are right now.

BEING BY LOVING YOUR body just as it is right now.

Dare to dream and dare to be beautiful.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” ~ Marcel Proust

All this is to say, who we are and what we do is often a matter of perception. If you can step back and look at yourself through the eyes of someone else – a foreigner, perhaps- you might find that you are a little kinder, a little more forgiving of your own quirky personality, your foibles, those things that make you uniquely you. I do believe that when we look at our hometown through the eyes of a tourist, that when we stop a moment to appreciate our lives- and indeed love our lives – we will find our joie de vivre. Our happiness.

The point is to look at your own world with new eyes. When you do this, you will find your love of living – not just love for the place or person that is exotic to you, but love and appreciation for what you have now in your own life.

..to be a “glass half-empty” type of person. There just isn’t enough time left. I need to add up every half glass I can get, and savor it.

HAPPNESS DOESN’T COME from one giant step…but rather, happiness comes from taking baby steps that will lead you to your own personal bless.

“give to yourself. Truly give. Give yourself a break. It’s okay to spend a Saturday in bed every now and then. Honor that and enjoy it. Be patient with yourself and recognize the need to retreat to your Secret Garden. Find ways to bring substance and ways to nurture your mind, your heart, your body, and your spirit. Find what brings you joy, what makes you laugh or smile. A place that “fills you up” and from which you feel replenished and happy to be alive. This is your own personal wellspring….happiness is sweetest when it’s shared.