A friend of mine snapped this photo in Cannes while we were there vacationing back in 2010. I feel it captures the French spirit perfectly. I had been to Paris a few times but this was my first time to Provence and the Riviera and let me just tell you, I fell in LOVE.
Truly, madly and deeply with everything.
The rolling hills of the Provencal countryside, the textiles, the food, the joie de vivre that permeates every crevice. My friends joked that if I could’ve, I would’ve tucked that whole region into my pocket and taken it home with me.
In fact, at the time I was unemployed and considered moving there. Saw this and thought it was a sign:
But alas I did come home, deciding I’m better off settling down back in the U.S. instead of gallivanting around France the rest of my life. But I still fantasize about living there on a regular basis.
And since we’re on the subject of LOVE, I thought it only fair to include the most amorous culture around. I’m pretty sure blogging all month on love and not mentioning the French is a crime somewhere.
So what do the French seem to know about love that the rest of us may not?
That love is about taking pleasure in every aspect of our lives. That love is a philosophy and way of life. Joie de vivre, the popular French phrase that is tossed around so much, translates as:
a feeling of happiness or excitement about life ◊ a French phrase that means literally “joy of living.” – Merriam Webster
This is evident in every area of French culture from conversation to cuisine. From boardrooms to bedrooms. It seems the French understand that life is short so while we’re here, let’s enjoy each and every moment.
According to an article in Business Insider, the French work the least amount of hours in the world but are wealthier than almost everybody, including the U.S. This points to the fact that while they may not work as much, the quality they produce is at a very high level.
If one were to divide France’s GDP per capita by actual hours worked, you’d probably find that the French are achieving some of the highest returns on work-hours invested.
Further evidence that the French seem to know a thing or two about how to live a good life.
Elaine Sciolino takes it a step further in her book, La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life. The longtime Paris bureau chief of The New York Times shows how the art of seduction plays a major role in both business and personal relationships. Even down to how the French enjoy their food and wine. Hey, who couldn’t use a little more seduction in their life? 😉
So what can we learn here?
That the time we spend outside of work is probably just as important as our time spent at work. That really enjoying ourselves is key to having a fruitful life. That it’s not about working harder but working smarter. And that taking the time to recharge when away from work is key to higher productivity.
So how are you choosing to live your life? Would you say you do a good job at balancing work and play? Or could you use a little improvement in your joie de vivre? What’s one thing you can do today to increase the love factor in your life?
Photos courtesy of Jessica Lin Photography
Ingrid Schaffenburg's Blog 
LOVE that first shot!
Right!? It just oozes of love.
And it’s so saturated in all the right ways without going overboard.
great stuff.
I do not balance work and play well at all. I work all the time and rarely set aside time to relax, even when I watch TV I have my laptop in my lap working on something.
I need some life,love and France in my life.
Amen to that 😉 I wanna go back!
I am still guilty of 10-12 hour days every once in a while but I’m getting so much better and really unplugging at night and on the weekends. When I take that time to recharge, I have SO much more energy for work it’s amazing!
When I was weaning myself away from my workaholic life, I started giving myself one day a week where I planned nothing at all. And just went with the flow. So maybe try doing that if you aren’t already.
Personally, I do a terrible job of balancing work and play. I’m either working, or I’m playing, and I can’t switch either on and off. But I can tell you this. Seeing that picture of the beach makes me want to play, for sure. 🙂
Love the blog, Ingrid.
Thanks Piper! I know. It’s taken me forever to find that balance and for an ex-ballerina, letting go and feeling like I don’t have to work all the time was a major accomplishment.
And I think for everyone that work-play balance is different. I think it just comes down to what makes you happy!
This is my favorite post this week. What an amazing reminder that we need to slow down and recharge ourselves. Those pictures are gorgeous (are they of you?) and that water, dang! It’s so blue.
I’m going to practice being more French from now on. I’m going to actively seek to live life with joy ~ no matter what I’m doing, whether it be work or play. I love this idea!
Thanks Tameri 🙂 That last picture is of a friend and the first was just of a random couple. Cannes is amazing and I was very impressed with the beach. Actual sand as opposed to pebbles. Although pebble beach and surprisingly soothing.
Awesome! I’ve finally found pleasure in just about every moment of my life, be in work or play, and I can’t tell you the difference that makes in your quality of life. It’s really just a decision and a mindset. Any of us can do it at any time 🙂
Interesting. I’ve always loved the French culture. Four years in the language with a lady from there taught me a lot about it. Though I’m sad to say, my memory has thinned over the years…
Mine too! Two years of college French and I can barely say a sentence. Glad you liked the post 🙂
Hi Ingrid.
“time we spend outside of work is probably just as important as our time spent at work” – oh, yes. Who lay on their deathbed and said “Wish I’d put in a few more hours at the office”? I only work to live.
Having lived in Europe and the US, I would say that American’s do seem to work longer hours, but don’t seem any more productive, probably because we’re further down that slippery slope of the-more-you-work-the-less-productive-you-are-so-have-to-work-longer.
I’m going to take a few minutes off now 🙂
Cheers!
Awesome 😉 Well said. And that is indeed the slippery slope we’re on. Never thought of it that way and you articulated it perfectly 🙂
American understanding of productivity tends to be overshadowed by the Puritan work ethic, albeit colored by the individual in society. The French know life is about balance. Everything is connected, some things united. We need to find meaning in all relationships (metaphysically, all things exist in relation to all other things) and define what is important based on a well informed disposition in order to realize peace.
That’s a mystic view, anyway! As an artist, life and art are one. 😉
Beautifully said George. I agree with every word. I went for many years leading an unbalanced life and I firmly believe that’s why I didn’t “progress” as much as I could have. Sacrificing my personal life for work. Now that I’ve found a wonderful balance with all things in my life, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And I seem to find pleasure in each and every moment 🙂 Thank you for pointing out our history as a nation. You make a wonderful point.
Thanks Ingrid. I can relate to sacrificing personal life for work. Short term can be tolerable but long term can take a heavy toll. Plus, the sacrifices and contributions often don’t amount to much in the corporate world anyway because everyone is expendable. To achieve meaning and balance in life professional endeavors need purpose.
“Climbing mountain roads to peace.”
I wrote this lyric for a song several years ago. Progress doesn’t always unfold the way we want but sometimes hardships or setbacks offer insights we might not discover otherwise. You have obviously attained a wiser worldview from your experiences. I suspect this has helped, among other things, to find that wonderful balance, right?
And, happiness is infectious! Glad to see that you are finding pleasure in each and every moment…that’s the way life should be! 🙂