by Joanna on March 4, 2010
Je suis une veinarde, une chanceuse, une vernie, une fortunée, une heureuse.
Tous les étés de mon enfance, je passais un mois à me cacher dans les blés, à courir après les poules, dévaler les talus, à rigoler en cauchois, à boire au pis des vaches, à maudire les galets. Tous les étés, je passais un mois dans un village de Normandie, près de Fécamp, perchée sur une falaise.
Quelle chance j’ai eu de pouvoir côtoyer si jeune des milieux aussi différents, de l’ambassadeur au gogotier.
Hubert était gogotier et Robert capitaine sur les chalutiers qui partaient mi-février pour les mers glaciales de Terre-neuve au Canada, d’Islande ou de Norvège. Des campagnes de plusieurs mois sans escale, avec entre elles quelques jours de repos avant de repartir affronter les dangers de la mer.
Hubert travaillait deux quarts de 6 heures avec 35 minutes de pause pour manger puis il avait 6 heures de repos pour dormir et prendre deux repas, et le cycle reprenait.
Et bien à en croire Hubert, il était heureux dans ces conditions extrêmes. J’ai eu beau insister, chercher la faille, Hubert est heureux gogotier, Hubert est heureux à la retraite, pour des raisons radicalement différentes. Si le bonheur était une nature, Hubert l’a pour sûr.
Robert lui semble tirer son bonheur actuel de la satisfaction d’une vie noble, mener avec droiture. Il a beaucoup souffert sur les océans et la responsabilité de l’équipage était lourde. Il craint la mer et sait à quel point elle peut être dangereuse. Il en parle comme d’une femme douce et piquante à la fois, qui amadoue et déchire. Cependant il est fier de la vie qu’il a mené et cela fait son bonheur.
Voilà typiquement ce qui fait la richesse de ce monde : nos différences. Dans des conditions similaires bien qu’à des postes très différents, l’un s’est épanouie, l’autre a enduré. Chacun avec ses lunettes a vu et ressenti la vie de manière très différente.
by Joanna on February 25, 2010
Moodstep a un an et je peux dire que ce blog m’a beaucoup apporté. J’ai découvert des individus et des groupes qui réfléchissent activement sur le bonheur.
Moodstep m’a aussi permis de rencontrer Jessica.
Portées par l’idée du bonheur, nous aimerions réunir tous ceux qui veulent continuer (ou commencer) à explorer le bonheur en nous retrouvant le 5 juin à la Cartonnerie à Paris.
De 14h à 19h, nous écouterons, échangerons, participeront à des ateliers avec pour thème central : le bonheur.
Pour organiser cette journée, nous avons créé l’association Happylab et un site internet : www.happylab.fr
Le programme n’est pas encore fixé mais voilà les personnes que je poursuis ou vais poursuivre de mes assiduités :
Etienne Jalenques Psychiatre et auteur de « la thérapie du bonheur »
Jean Delumeau Historien et auteur de « Une histoire du paradis »
Andrew Clark Directeur de recherche au CNRS pour l’économie du bonheur
Jacques Salomé Psychosociologue et auteur de « Pourquoi est-il si difficile d’être heureux ? »
Christian Boiron PDG des laboratoires Boiron et auteur de « la source du bonheur »
André Comte-Sponville philosophe et auteur de « la plus belle histoire du bonheur »
Christophe André psychiatre et auteur de « Vivre heureux. Psychologie du bonheur »
Patrick Viveret Philosophe et auteur de « vers une sobriété heureuse »
Mimie Mathy comédienne et auteur de « aller simple pour le bonheur »
…
Et ma liste ne s’arrête pas là. Et vous une idée de qui nous pourrions inviter ? Connaissez-vous quelqu’un qui DOIT être là ?
Donc je résume :
Bliss (les explorateurs du bonheur) est une après-midi d’échange sur l’idée du bonheur. Ca a lieu le 5 juin à la Cartonnerie de 14h à 19h. Nous disposons de 90 places à 20€. Pour réserver vous pouvez me joindre à joanna(at)happylab.fr
Si vous avez des idées, du temps, des contacts pour faire de cette après-midi un moment de découverte et d’émerveillement pour nous tous, contactez-moi.
by Joanna on December 31, 2009
Une année riche. Beaucoup de rencontres enrichissantes, d’amitiés précieuses. Bonne année à tous.
by admin on November 19, 2009
Le dimanche je chante. Faux, mais personne ne semble vraiment faire attention car le dimanche au cinquante, c’est tout un petit bar du 10ème qui chante à l’unisson.
Le dimanche je sers. Je sers un brunch bio aux saveurs déroutantes. A la fin de la journée je devrais m’empresser d’aller m’étendre pour soulager mon dos fourbu mais au lieu de ça, je cours au cinquante!
Je chante. Un “Bonnie & Clide”, une “bohème” et me vl’a requinquée. Et alors que le guitariste a refermé l’étui, je me retrouve toujours embarquée dans des discussions chamarées de yeux ronds et de rires. Et comme j’aime le regard malicieux de Patrick quand il joue de la air guitare, la caresse de la main d’Amandine quand elle te salue, le claquement du pouboire sur le comptoir quand Benjamin te remercie, la douceur de Souad quand elle sourit, je reste, je reste jusqu’à la passion de saint Matthieu. Quand Bach résonne, c’est souvent le signe annonciateur du baissé de rideau.
Le dimanche je chante jusqu’au petit matin et c’est comme prendre un avion: le lendemain c’est décallage horaire.
Ce dimanche j’ai chanté. Ce lundi c’était décalage horaire. Ce mardi, je suis allée travailler après 4 heures de sommeil en me voyant déjà en haut de mon lit.
J’avais un planning chargé mais il s’est très vite alourdi pour cause de ça:
Contactée par Guillaume de TF1 grace à mon amie Alice et le sauvetage de Benoît, je me retrouve nez à nez avec un objectif de caméra. Heureuse surprise que de rencontrer un duo sympathique et drôle pour une interview éclair.
RDV rive gauche puis séance de travail sur le RDV du bonheur avec Jess et le soir: célébration! Où ça? Au cinquante bien sûr où j’ai rencontré Yann qui m’a parlé d’une rencontre et de bonheur.
Quelle belle journée!
by Joanna on September 3, 2009
“Joanna, would you like to interview Jacques Morin?” asked my friend Damien on the phone.
Damien is a documentary director. I saw the DVD about Jacques Salomé (a great psychologist and a best selling author in France) that Damien and Jacques did together so I was eager to meet him.
The meeting was on the set of their new documentary in beautiful Place des Vosges in the heart of Paris.
So here is Jacques Morin’s vision of happiness:
by Joanna on April 2, 2009
Budapest
What an esoteric city to me ! A good kind of magic that gets you on the top of a hill for a three-hour talk about the Huns, the Turkish, the Hapsburgs and the communists. I was taught the Hungarian history by a 71 years old man. Georges is a man who knows his history and his stories well. From the pictures of the kids to the Manhattan project, from the top of the hill to the other side of the bridge, I think that the BBC documentaries looked like this before television. What a great story teller!
One morning, I was given a private reggae concert. Amazing. It looked so natural to create rhythm like this, with their body , their voice, their flow. At times, my little voice couldn’t help but scream « I am so Lucky ». The next day I went to their concert and got to see them with a different light. Riddim colony: so fan.
I would have really liked to stay a few more days in Budapest but time was pushing me out.
Belgrade
This is a test. If the people who lived that story are Reading, I pray that they don’t throw me stones.
The word we had to remember was « forget ».
But I didn’t forget.
I spent 3 days at a friends’ place. They showed me the city. I saw a fort and a river. I can’t really remember. The only thing I remember is the food. Food from morning to night. Sliding from the lunch table to the dinner table. But even those mountains of food didn’t erase that beautiful moment.
All the guests were standing on their way out. It was a Sunday night and it was time to prepare for a new week. Then it stroke us. It started in slow motion. You see the movement but you don’t quite hear what is being said. You just follow the flow. And suddenly comes the full speed again. You are in the living room, dancing with 6 Serbian people in a round. You hear laugh, you see legs bouncing and the voice of a man saying « Forget. Forget » as if we had to forget such a great moment. It is so rare to spontaneously dance and share so much fun with a group of people. At this very moment: happiness was for me to share a crazy moment with others.
When we stopped dancing, we all looked at each other to check if it is ok to have fun. Everybody started to streathen up when it happened again.
It is out in the open now. Silliness is good for your heart.
I am now back in Paris drown in sunshine. It’s been a great trip with great people.
by Joanna on March 26, 2009
I danced. I spun and spun. I’ve been Dizzy. I experienced a great sens of joy.
At first when Glenneroo (glenn /silly + kangaroo /bouncy = glenneroo / bouncing sillyness ) told me about mobile clubbing, I heard this little voice in my head saying : « don’t be up-tight, go and see. Get outside your comfort zone ». My little voice is always a good adviser so I said “OK ! Let’s go and dance in the middle of the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna.”
I have to confess that I have some difficulties with public display. Sometime I sound like an old lady ☺ Well, when I joined the group, I was using my camera as a protection to stay an observer. Then I started to dance, again, like an old lady.
But before going further and to fully understand my deepest experience in Vienna, you have to know a strange fact.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:
Exhibit D:
Exhibit E:
Vienna is a giant umbrella cemetery. Here, are coming the wealthy umbrellas of the world to have a beautiful end. Braves, they come to the windy city Vienna for a last dance with the wind. Some open completly toward the sky. Others wave like break dancers or embrass their holders.
So now you follow me ? Vienna was very windy when I was there. Cold windy. It was raining and my hands were missing the warmth of the glove. I am very sensitive to cold.
I started to dance; like an old lady as you remember now. Then as we moved toward the center of the gigantic court, the rythm of movements slowly rocks you into a fabulous feeling of freedom. Then you let go of self judgment and you start to feel the air blowing its gentle strongness… Strongness! That can’t be right. Excuse my English but I just was thrilled. I was out of space and time. My hands and feet were warm. I felt an extreme well being but didn’t name it at the time.
At this very moment, a fellow dancer taped on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and he said: “Is this happiness?” At this moment I realised that I lived a great joy that is part for me of a happy life but I was suddenly brought back by the same question I am asking everyone. “What is happiness?”
Several persons I interviewed during this trip asked me what was my vision of happiness and my answer is always different. At this very moment in Vienna, it was: happiness is being here and now. Several people in the happyviews had this learning as a life lesson. I believe that’s what they meant.
by Joanna on March 12, 2009
Happiness in Berlin! I didn’t really connect with the city so I come back almost empty handed. Luckily, on my last night I met Tino. It lasted 10 minutes but he was so enthusiastic and friendly that we did an interview while waiting for the metro.
I then went to Prague where I met incredibly welcoming people, an international crowd in fact. I had a lot of fun but also loved the city. It’s a beauty.
by Joanna on February 26, 2009
SWEDEN
Swedish people are living for the summer and it’s true that the cold and the short days make it a challenge to live there in winter. Even if the lack of light could be a happy downer, I found joyful people on my journey. And I learned quite a few things about Sweden.
DENMARK
“Out of 97 countries surveyed, Denmark is the happiest nation on Earth”
Well, I can totally understand it since Copenhagen has almost everything of the dream city to me. The sea is at a walk distance and you can even park your boat on the canal in front of your house. Parks are everywhere and the architectures is very diverse with huge monuments and colourfull houses. The city center is only for pedestrian and I found Danes very outgoing. What a great place to live in!
But the funny thing is that when I asked people I met if they were happy, half of them said no!
Check out this report on Denmark:
Update (May 12, 2009)
extract from a great article
“Vaillant brings a healthy dose of subtlety to a field that sometimes seems to glide past it. The bookstore shelves are lined with titles that have an almost messianic tone, as in Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. But what does it mean, really, to be happier? For 30 years, Denmark has topped international happiness surveys. But Danes are hardly a sanguine bunch. Ask an American how it’s going, and you will usually hear “Really good.” Ask a Dane, and you will hear “Det kunne være værre (It could be worse).” “Danes have consistently low (and indubitably realistic) expectations for the year to come,” a team of Danish scholars concluded. “Year after year they are pleasantly surprised to find that not everything is getting more rotten in the state of Denmark.”
by Joanna on February 19, 2009
I left Paris and my comfortable life to go on the roads of Europe. I feel a bit like an old lady putting on leather pants to ride a Harley. I used to travel a lot but I was young and fresh. Now in my thirties, I should be sleeping in hotels and fly first class but I am very grateful that the money limit pushes me to choose alternative solutions and opens new horizons.
So it is bus and couchsurfing. Couchsurfing.com is a website, a community. Their mission statement: Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time. The system of friendship and references makes it easy to trust other couchsurfers. Once you have tasted it, it’s a delight. You meet people who love travel and sharing. A truly happy community.
So my first stop is Stockholm, Sweden.
Happy?
