Practice bathing like it is an art. Run a bubble bath. Add rose hip essential oil.
Accept that fresh flowers are a necessity.
Pour a glass of Malbec and get a dark chocolate salted caramel. (Better make that two.)
Say what you’re thinking. Let the pieces fall where they may.
Turn on jazz radio. Let Brubeck serenade you while you slip your clothes off. (To get in the bath, obviously.)
Embrace ease. (Why does everything need to be a struggle anyway?)
Buy the dress.
Dress up. Have no reason. (Realizing you can’t? Go shopping. You don’t have to spend much to feel completely fabulous. All my cutest dresses are local thrift finds. I also adore Twice, an online secondhand retailer. Use this link to get a $10 credit.)
No, really. Dress up.
Play with pin curls.
Wear lipstick and heels.
Go dancing.
Take up salsa. It might just be your body’s way of expressing joy.
Be sensual.
Establish places you love being at where the staff recognizes you and gives you special treatment.
Find a dance partner.
Take a lover.
Hell, take three.
Hmm. Maybe just one. (Decide maybe your plan wasn’t the best one, anyway.)
Stay up all night.
Discover how sexy hands can be.
Surrender. In every sense of the word.
Make love till dawn.
Write.
Write more.
Be more compassionate. (And keeping trying when you fail at it.)
Stand out. Get okay with the discomfort that comes with that.
Take the family out to dinner. Revel in four generations of trying to make due just relaxing and enjoying each other’s company.
Change your mind.
Change it again.
Look in the mirror. Accept you’re not the person you used to be – and that’s a beautiful thing.
Show gratitude.
No really, gratitude is a practice. Work on it.
Thank your best friend for the towels.
Thank someone for being honest after a hard conversation.
Leave a thank you note for your neighbor with the beautiful voice.
Be brave.
Laugh more.