Don't Lose Your Joie D' Vivre
Remember when you were a little kid and you were so full of life that you skipped down the street or jumped and ran just for the sheer joy of it? That emotion is what the French call Joie d'Vivre or the joy of life-and it's a precious capacity that we need to nurture. Life shouldn't be just a series of days that feed us but do not make us feel grateful for how good life can be.
When we were young - we could feel thrilled at finding a frog or jumping in a pool or meeting a new friend. Odd as it may seem- that capacity still remains with us and it only requires two things to activate it: the right attitude- and an ability to take pleasure in little things, in nature, in people.
The other day I went to a friend's birthday party in the mountains in Washington State. She had reserved space at a restaurant at the top of a ski lift and we all went up the lift which took about twenty minutes to get to the top. The trip up was gorgeous-a whole different world mid-summer when the snow is gone and you can see the contours of the land. But the big surprise was at the top. A full view of Mt Rainier, the largest mountain in the state (and one of the largest in the United State) was available-and it was stupendous. The top of the mountain is a glacier and the scale of the snow topped peak was truly awesome. The twenty people who had come for dinner were stunned- speechless, really. We couldn't take our eyes away. We whispered in deference to the beauty and majesty of the place.
Afterwards this group of friends had dinner together and the atmosphere was full of good feelings and gratitude at how beautiful life can feel. The dinner was almost beside the point - we were together and the world was magnificent.
Nature can create that joy in life for us. People can do that for us. And Love can do that for us. That wonderful feeling that is produced not by money or success- but sheer joy in being alive surrounded by affection and beauty. These euphoric feelings are available to us in every decade of our lives - it doesn't matter if we are twenty or eighty. But in order to access them, we have to put ourselves in the right emotional "space" and a physical place. The whole world can offer us joy - for no dollars- but it does require an investment. It requires looking for the beauty in life, sharing it with friends, and even better, sharing it with someone you love. In fact, just being with someone you love - walking down the street holding hands, watching the sun come up together, or just sitting in a park reading a book can produce this same feeling that all is wondrous and good in the world.
You owe it to yourself not to lose this feeling. Don't lose your Joie D' Vivre - devoting time to finding love-and then finding moments and environments that give you joy will support your health and your happiness. And since our inner child is never very far away, you might even find yourself spontaneously skipping down the street.
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