Friday Night Reflections: Saturday Edition

What opportunities do you have?

What could you be doing?

What do you wish you were doing?

I had a recent comment from someone who wanted to start writing again. To that I say, start writing. In a journal. On a blog. In a notebook or pieces of scrap paper. But just make sure you are writing. Everyday. Even for a few minutes, but practice your craft.

The same thing goes for photography. If you have a camera, learn how to use it. Practice. Practice. Practice. Share photos with others.

Or for music or singing. Do it. And do some more.

I think sometimes the hardest part is doing it. Doing whatever it is that we want to do. For fear of criticism. For fear of being questioned. For fear of not being supported in your endeavors.

Trust me, I know there's nothing scarier than speaking your dreams out loud. It's almost as if saying it out loud makes it real. But it's true. And I think that the more you make it known (even if it's only to your inner circle) what you want to do or be doing, it will make it easier to get there.

So, what's your opportunity to do what you want to be doing?

Bon week-end!
Catie

Friday Night Reflections: Step 5

Yay, this blog is just over a month old! And it's been a fun journey so far.

So for today's Friday Night Reflection, I'm piggybacking off of yesterday's post on "Pursue Happiness" and thinking about what makes me happy.

What makes you happy? What/who do you love?

I love simple things.

My husband.

My family.

My friends.

Cupcakes.

Nutella.

Red Velvet Cake.

Beignets from Cafe du Monde.

Paris.

France.

La vie francaise. The French life.

Salade Lyonnaise. Specialty salad with bacon, poached egg, and vinaigrette from Lyon, France. My favorite salad on earth!

Crepes. Crepes with Nutella and bananas. Mmmm.

The metro. Or the subway in New York.

Traveling.

Photography. Photographing people.

Stories.

Deep conversations.

Experiences.

What do you love?

Write it down. Let stream of consciousness flow. You might be surprised what you come up with. And maybe a step closer to your joie de vivre.

Bon week-end!
Catie

Friday Night Reflections: Step 4

It's said that we are the sum of the five people we surround ourselves with. So if you surround yourself with negative people, you'll undoubtedly be more negative. And if you surround yourself with positive people, you'll be more positive.

I've wondered if this was true.

And I can attest that it is.

I used to work in an office environment where I was very unhappy. And I was surrounded by other people who were unhappy in their jobs as well. We would commiserate about how much our jobs sucked and had a very cynical view of our place in the company.

However, as soon as I freed myself from that situation, I found myself to feel much happier. Freer. Able to be spirited and positive, which is more my nature.

And when I think about that it's astounding. Especially when my friends from my old job have commented about my demeanor. They were so used to me being cynical and frustrated, that when I started feeling more positive and happy in my life, it was strange to them. And that is pretty amazing.

So I ask you for tonight's Friday Night Reflection: Who are the five people you surround yourself with the most?

Do they feed your soul?

Do they suck your soul?

What kind of energy do they feed you? Are they helping you uncover your joie de vivre?

Bon week-end!
Catie

Friday Night Reflections: Step 3

I recently attended a "life" workshop presented by the awesome Justin & Mary Marantz from Connecticut. They really emphasized the importance of having a balanced life, if we're ever to enjoy our lives at all.

One of the things they touched upon was writing down goals. They included a shocking statistic that only 20% (I believe of Americans) have goals. In life. Period. And of that only 4% WRITE down their goals.

I first started a goals list in 2007 with a 101 in 1001 list. This is a list of 101 goals to accomplish in 1001 days (which is about 3 years and some change). It's a fun list to make if you've never actually written down your goals before. My list included learning to cook, traveling to New York City, and meeting some well-known photographers.

And something that I've been doing only since early 2008 has been writing down my goals. And not just a list, but SMART goals, meaning specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. So instead of just having a list floating out in the world, you have a specific list of things to accomplish, with milestones that will confirm you completed your goals.

There's a statistic that says that if you write down your goals, you are 80% more likely to achieve them. (Sorry, no sources...)

Writing them down is only the first part. You must also review your goals and reassess your progress. When I've done this, I've surprised myself with how much I have accomplished.

So go ahead. Start with a list of 10 SMART goals.

Maybe your joie de vivre is on that list.

Bon-weekend!
Catie

PS, if you're wondering how to pronounce joie de vivre, it's [jwa deh vive-re].

Friday Night Reflections: Step 2

Sometimes I don't know how I made it through an entire week. From Monday through Friday, it's a constant high speed chase. And then, when I sit down to think about what I did during the week, I can't for the life of me, remember. Or when Monday comes rolling around, I can't remember what I did on the weekend. Do you ever feel that way?

Sometimes I feel like I have five-thousand things to do on my to-do list. And for whatever reason, I think that I can remember them in my head. Crazy right?

And then, when I try to remember what is on my to-do list, I can't remember a thing. Ever feel like this?

Overwhelmed? Don't know where to start?

So for today's Friday Night Reflection, start with writing down all the things you need to do.

Every last thing.

From going to the post office to doing your taxes to calling a few contacts to get started on a new project.

Write everything down.

Then prioritize you list based on what you get can done quickly, what will take a few hours, what will take a few days, and what will take a few weeks.

Then, get to it!

Reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. You'll be closer to finding your joie de vivre.

Bon week-end!
Catie

Friday Night Reflections

So this project has been in existence for just a week, and it has been an amazing ride. So much so that I realized that I've written the length of an essay everyday for a week. It's crazy because I never write that much on a regular basis, let alone everyday. It's astounding what a little passion fueling your fire can do!

But I thought that I'd mix it up today. And bring a little more interactivity to the table.

Finding your joie de vivre doesn't just happen. You have to find it. You have to dig for it. You have to seek it out.

In the first steps for discovering your joie de vivre, think about what makes you feel happy. What makes you feel whole, like a complete person?

For me, it's surrounding myself with family and close friends. Spending time with my husband. Having a home and making it ours. A good book. A good conversation. Laughing until my belly aches. Traveling to and exploring new places. A home-cooked meal.

So I pose the question, What makes you feel whole?

Bon week-end! 
Catie