Living life with Joie de Vivre is being entirely comfortable to be your authentic self, to be really grateful and at your most happy in your life. It is the moments you can truly savor knowing that you listened and trusted the real love in your heart, all the love in your life. It's having full faith in yourself and to be the best that you can be. Knowing you can trust your heart to live well with solid relationship you have established with your authentic self and with others, knowing you have done your absolute best. It's living with no fear, with absolute joy, going after exactly what you want, fully enjoying the journey of your life and really living in the present, this very moment, because you know life is beautiful. Joie de Vivre is enjoying life to it's fullest and embracing what life offers.

Joie de Vivre

The formula to enjoyment of lifeBy Alain Rheault

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Alain Rheault
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-9232-7

Chapter One

Be kind

Don't just be kind for the sake of kindness or how it makes you look. Be kind because you want to, because it can make a difference in someone's day or life. Being kind is not only beneficial to others around you—the little elderly women who you held the door open for or the complete stranger you bought coffee for. It really does bounce back to you. It's amazing how good being kind to others can make you feel. Be courteous to others; help people in every way that you can. Smile at everyone you meet, say hi to others with a smile, and listen to what others have to say. Be sincere.

Go ahead, open doors for others, let others merge in front of you during rush-hour traffic and give that hard worker a generous tip. In the end, you're being kind to yourself—while helping others in the meantime.

When you do things, do them all with the best of intentions and to the best of your knowledge and abilities. Be proud of helping, especially if you help without expecting something in return.

The object is not to give things or money to others; it is the quality of the time you spend that counts. It is the feeling shared.

But when we think of being kind, we often forget to be kind to ourselves. I don't mean we should constantly splurge on ourselves and be self-absorbed or indulgent. What I mean is that we are sometimes quite hard on ourselves and don't always acknowledge our achievements—while we praise others for similar actions or accomplishments.

Remember to reward yourself for things you would reward others for. You got an A on your exam, you had a great job interview, or you finally got around to achieving a goal you had set for yourself. So go ahead and reward yourself—you deserve it!

Always be sincere about giving. Smile at yourself every morning in the mirror or when you glance at your reflection during the day. Be real; don't be afraid to be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone that you're not, because the only person who knows deep down who you are is you.

Live your life. Don't live it through someone else's eyes. When you have that feeling that you really know what you want, that is you, my friend. All you want to be is you.

You know you have dreams. Listen to you inner self; you know it's right when it feels right, because it feels good. It is all you when you take that time and listen to your self. Life feels good. Take good advice. It's for your own good to be able to help yourself and others. Allow yourself to truly be who you are.

Live your life the best way you can live. Be the best that you can at everything. Be true. Your true life is the energy in you. It's also in the things around you and the people around you. Feel that powerful energy!

Hurting others will likely hurt you just as much, if not more. Your conscience is powerful and doesn't let you off the hook easily. Do not underestimate it. So, in hurting others, you also hurt yourself. That sounds like self-abuse to me.

Remember, being kind to others is also being kind to yourself. Be kind; don't purposely hurt others. Remember, it's a small world. Who knows, maybe the person you were just obnoxiously rude to might be the one across the desk from you at your next interview.

So, this brings me to my next reminder, my next question to you on positive thinking and life reflection: How do you want to live your life?

Chapter Two

Live life and remember it all

Cherish the good and positive moments. Forget the bad and unpleasant moments. You want to feel good so keep the good. What do you want to do today? Make a list of things that you have to do and do them well. That is a big step toward your success, and you will feel great when you have accomplished what you had to do. How do you want to live today? That is the question you should ask yourself, because then you are choosing what makes you joyful.

You don't have to think long or hard about this, because you know what you want. You already know what you want today and already know what you want for tomorrow. You have to remember to enjoy life.

When I say this, I don't mean spend money or splurge on expensive items. To enjoy life, you don't have to spend money. All you need to do is observe simple things—like the sky. Look at each cloud. And take a few minutes to smell your surroundings. Smell the flowers. Bend down and put your nose in that fresh bloom and really enjoy it.

When I was little, I would watch my dad. I watched his every move. I thought, I will be just like him one day. Everything that he did, he did with the dignity of a real gentleman. My dad was really a perfect role model.

Almost everyone loves their dad. A good father always takes care of you. He has your back and you feel like everything is okay. My dad was a great carpenter. Everything he built was the best. He took pride in his work. He also took good care of his tools. He wrote his name on every one and painted the handles red, his favorite color. When he built anything, he made absolutely sure that the wood was straight and in good shape.

One day, as I was driving to work (I travel a lot and have long drives), I saw a very clean, shiny, well-kept red truck carrying a load of brand-new wood. This made me think of my dad, and I felt that, if he was to have a truck, that would be the one. So I waved to the driver. That, my friend, really made my day. It made me think of my dad. When it was time for me to buy a new truck, I bought a red one. Papa, I always want you to be proud of me, because I am proud of me.

It's not the objects or the material things that create a bond with someone. It is the time well spent; it is the interaction you have with another that counts. Take time for others and rejoice in every little thing. It is so worth it.

So smell that flower in front of you. Take the time to crouch down, touch the grass, and feel its texture. Touch the sand; feel it between your fingers and between your toes. Look at the moon and allow yourself to ask questions like, Who else is looking at the moon right now?

Really enjoy what you are seeing, hearing, feeling. Who are you sharing all of this with? And how do you feel?

Enjoy your surroundings. Describe them to yourself.

Listen to nature. Look at this amazing world we are all living in.

The answers you need are in your heart.

Take time to listen to your heart. Just take a moment right now and envision what you really want in life. Be really happy if you are living your dream. Can you see anyone smiling? Can you take time to share your smile? On your way to work, do you feel good? Better yet, on your way home, how do you feel? Is it a good feeling? Even though we all live pretty busy lives, can you stop for a moment and ask yourself, Why am I in a rush? Do you have time to give a hug or to pay a beautiful compliment to someone? We all want this but we easily forget the things that make others feel good, especially you.

Chapter Three

Your success

Now, this brings me to the question of Success. What is it truly? What does it truly mean?

Success in life is doing what you dream of doing—becoming who you love to be and living up to who you say you are. It is the goal that you choose to accomplish, the goal that you want to achieve. It is the love and time that you put in, the sweat and the perseverance. It is the passion you apply to that goal. The more involved you are, the better the reward. I guess you could say that success is your reward to yourself.

It seems like the harder or more difficult a thing is, the better the reward always seems to be. That is because you put in more effort—or all of your effort. That is why you can really appreciate the reward.

So, my friend, be proud of who you are. Be confident in yourself; you are who you believe you are. Are you who you want to be? Are you convinced?

Have a vision of what you want to be. For me, the meaning of life is to live up to the vision of who I am and who I want to be. Live up to become what you have envisioned. But make sure what you really want is good and real.

Release all your energy, Walk with a purpose in mind. Walk with a full-of-life attitude. Be proud. It's all up to you. What is it that makes your heart beat and what makes you smile?

Success and well-being mean healthy actions, good behavior, and good motives. Success involves the way you think about yourself, the way you walk and present yourself, and even the things you eat and drink.

Most of us already know most of this stuff. But sometimes it helps to be reminded of factors that help improve our quality of life. Ask yourself, Do I practice good manners? Do I treat others the way I want to be treated?

Some of these important little positive things in life—no, all of these little things—are very useful for living at peace with yourself and with others. Sometimes a simple little comment, positive or negative, could have a great impact on someone's day—or life. You might as well make it a positive one rather than one that's potentially toxic to someone's day. Being negative bounces right back at you, which puts you in a bad mood, causing negative thoughts and escalating to bad habits that cause you to become a person I'm sure you don't envision yourself becoming. So, tell me, is it worth it?

If you have to do something, do it with pleasure. Do it with a smile. If you don't feel like doing it, wait a little bit; when you do feel better about it, do it and do it well. Don't do anything halfway; finish what you started. When engaging in an activity, do it to the best of your knowledge and ability. It's quite rewarding to look back on a job well done.

Sometimes things sound good—almost too good. If you're not sure about certain things that may seem too good to be true, talk with someone you would like to see yourself becoming or someone you trust, and seek his or her advice. It's important to know what you want in life so when opportunity knocks you, know whether to take it or not.

It's much easier to focus on a goal when you know yourself and when you truly know what it is that you want out of life. Everyone wants the perfect life. So, what is perfect? Your life is really the life that you make it.

What makes your friends happy is not necessarily what makes you happy. Some people are happy with fame and others with fortune, while others may be happy simply when they are surrounded by people they love. When you recognize what makes you happy, you can focus on doing activities or even creating a business out of your passion in life. Work doesn't always have to have a negative feeling; try incorporating positive aspects into in.

It has been said in a number of books that your thoughts create your life. Have the attitude of "I can do it," "I can achieve it"—and really believe it. Surround yourself with the best of everything and aim to become the best. Have that certitude, that confidence in yourself.

If you know and think of the things you want, by working and taking action you make it happen. Doing what you really want to do and loving it—that's life. You can become who you want to be; it's really all up to you to make it happen. Don't procrastinate; find the time and do it. You know you've got the time. Your world is a reflection of yourself.

There's no competition; it's your own life, no one else's. When you are at work, be a good worker—not just for your boss but for yourself. Be proud of your work and always try to be better than you were yesterday.

Chapter Four

What is important to you?

Be mindful and aware of your surroundings. In other words, don't just look at your environment, notice it. Really allow yourself to be in the moment.

You know that there are lots of different types of trees, but try noticing more: observe the leaves, the trunk, and the variety of colors during fall. Notice the sky; notice how the clouds never have the same shape and how unique each one is. Notice your environment and how you are part of it.

Look around and notice people. Open your eyes to recognize the ones who truly need your help. Also welcome people's compliments. When someone gives you a compliment, take it in. You're worth it and they mean it. Many of us tend to brush off a compliment, maybe because we do so out of habit or maybe we are trying to be modest. By not acknowledging compliments you're not only denying yourself a good feeling, but you're also denying the other person a good feeling. You are refusing his or her gift to you.

Notice the impact of your presence on your environment and on the world. Observe how your actions influence other people's attitude, mood, and actions.

Look around. Notice how everyone seems to be in a big rush. Challenge yourself to take your time, to breathe, to take it all in. Be the person who makes the time for others—for example, be the person who lets others in front of you in a traffic jam. You'll see and feel a difference within you.

You might be asking yourself at this point, Why would I do that? Why bother? I say, do it because you are worth it. All these actions are gifts you give yourself, gifts that just happen to give to others too. It's a win-win situation. But keep in mind that this feels good only if you are genuine, only if you mean it—not if you're just doing it to look good.

Someone once told me that if you want to know who you are, look at your friends and the people you associate with. That's a good picture of who you are or who you will become. If the people who surround you reflect the positive image of who you are or of who you are striving to become, then great. But if they don't, it may be a good indication that you need to change your surroundings and find new friends.

True friends are people who encourage you to keep moving forward. They help when you need them, and they don't encourage you toward unhealthy habits or behaviors. Good friends offer support, not competition. If you have healthy friendships, embrace them by returning your kindness to these people. Friendship is truly a precious treasure.

Select your friends carefully, as they do reflect on you. I believe that if you surround yourself with millionaires, you will likely become one, and if you hang around with clowns, well, the next thing you know you're joining the circus. It may not be that drastic, but your surroundings do reflect on you and you in return reflect on them too. So choose your friends carefully.

If you say you are going to do something, do it. Give it your best—give it your true best—and always be kind. Do things in a loving manner. Learn from your mistakes, because when you blame someone for your mistakes, you are not learning. And you are mostly going to repeat that same mistake again. Accept your mistake and live your life. Everyone makes mistakes; it is part of learning.

Here is something really important: Being rude doesn't do anyone any good. It can potentially hurt someone and will hurt you in return. Your conscience will likely not let you off the hook easily; you might have a hard time falling asleep thinking of the way you handled yourself toward another person. So think twice before doing or saying things that could be hurtful. Ask yourself, Is this really worth it?

In trying to portray yourself as a successful person, it's important not to treat others as though they are inferior to you. Trust me, people see right through that, and it can backfire quickly. The effect may be the opposite of what you hoped—that is, people will likely see you as insecure rather than successful.

Chapter Five

Remember

Remember the feeling you had as a kid, when the colors were so bright and Grandma's hugs were ever so reassuring. Remember how pure each feeling felt. Remember having a laugh that hurt so bad but you couldn't stop it. That is living life as it should be lived—to its fullest!

To know how good life is and how you should feel, think of your first bike and how happy you were to realize that you could ride it by yourself. This was likely the feeling of freedom—feeling the air on your face, seeing everything go by so fast, wanting to go faster and faster, wanting to feel that rush. Remember when you pedaled so fast you felt your legs couldn't keep up with the speed of the pedals. That, to me, is a feeling of pure joy—joie de vivre!

Try to find that feeling again. As adults, we often don't allow ourselves that feeling or stop it, as we either think it's not cool or we fear being seen and judged. You might think things like "I'm a grown-up and shouldn't act like this." Allow yourself to feel good, to feel free. To do that fully, you can't care about what you might think others may think or say about you.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Joie de Vivreby Alain Rheault Copyright © 2012 by Alain Rheault. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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