French Lifestyle Secrets I Wish I'd Known Sooner

Before I moved to France, I was always chasing after more. Always seeking a better way to do things. A more efficient and productive way to live my life. I've been living abroad for about four years now and living in a country that's not my own has really inspired me to see that there's a different way to live life. The French don't live for work and they don't live for money. Here are just a few specific ways that I've been inspired by the French. Ones that will hopefully inspire you to live artfully and well just as they have inspired me. It's okay to do nothing for no reason other than that it feels good. Watch the world go This is something that I often notice the French do when they're sitting down at a restaurant or having a coffee outside on the terrace. They people watch and observe. Confidence is quiet. Elegance is soft and subtle. Sitting in a restaurant, I often observe how quiet the crowded room is despite all the people talking. The French don't want to be seen and heard by everyone and they speak quietly. They don't compete or show off what they have and they happily live with less and are appreciative of the things they already have. If there's one thing that the French are really good at aside from protesting and complaining, it's having boundaries, separating work from play, and taking that time off seriously. Most of the French people I've met actively read philosophy, study art, or are artists themselves and they're up to date on current innovations in the world. Not just locally but globally. There is this global mindset that the French have. You can see it on the news when you turn on the television. The French have taught me to seek intellectual and philosophical growth and to always cultivate my mind. Everything is closed on Sundays in France because as a whole the culture values rest, leisure, and quality time with family. In France, a gourmand is someone who delights and celebrates in eating and it's here in France where being a gourmand is the norm. Where the delight in tasting and eating exquisite meals and rich desserts and pastries is a pastime, something to celebrate. One subtle thing that I've noticed that the French do is they embrace aging gracefully. You know, we're living in a time where everyone is obsessed with staying young and looking like everyone else. The French have inspired me to see things really differently. Botox isn't highly valued here and being 100% natural is preferred over trying to look younger. There's a certain elegance and sophistication in accepting and embracing the way that your natural body and face looks. The lines show you that you lived and wrinkles are a form of growth in our lives. Seeing how graceful French women are, it's inspired me to embrace subtlety, privacy, and mystery in my own life. When it comes to exercise, the French stay thin simply by eating healthy. Less focus on exercise and more focus on eating wholesome, unprocessed foods. Exercise isn't about how many calories you burn or how intense your workout is. It's simply about moving your body to the pleasure of your soul. The French delight in slowing down, doing things alone, and treasuring the small quiet moments in their everyday. Not everything has to be important or monumentous to be celebrated. Simply a coffee and a warm baguette will do. What if instead of always planning for the future, we focused on living now? We focused on living today. The French enjoy what they have. So treat yourself to beautiful silk pajamas and lingerie and sheets that make you feel divine. Have a square of dark chocolate in the morning when you wake up and make appreciating beauty in all its forms a priority now. This is how the French have inspired me to live artfully and well and I hope it inspires you to do the same.