... finish reading that critically acclaimed novel if it's boring the hell out of you.
... pass on birthday cake because you're afraid it'll go straight to your thighs.
... refer to an etiquette book instead of your gut.
... let any of your vacation days go unused.
... spend any considerable amount of time worrying: about the dishes, the bills, the laundry or what someone may or may not be thinking about you.
... hide your true self from the people you love.
... forgo the wind in your hair, the ocean under foot or the rain on your skin because you're afraid you don't have the time to waste.
... bite your tongue on issues that really matter to you. (So: I think every woman has the right to choose what is best for her own body and soul, and I don't think any single other person has the right to judge her for it.)
... lie about your love for horrible television that is marketed to an age bracket beneath yours. (I skipped out on watching some of the Democratic National Convention so I could catch the season premiere of Greek.)
... be embarrassed about how big your nose is or how small your boobs are or how short your legs are.
... distrust the people in your life. If you don't have faith in them, let them go.
... listen to music you think will make you look cooler to other people.
... never run anywhere.
... leave the really important questions unasked and unanswered (Am I happy? Do I believe in this? Who do I want my children to know me as?)
... not shout out, "I love you" to the people you truly and wholly love.
... betray confidences because of instant and fleeting gratification.
... sit out on your chance to vote.
... never learn how to independently take care of yourself. (Pay your own bills, change your own tire, schedule your own appointments.)
... be wrong and refuse to admit it.
... decline an invitation because you have nothing to wear.
... be unhappy in your own skin.
... let fear stop you from taking the job, moving, asking him out, wearing that dress you love so much that is just a little shorter than you're used to.
... start arguments because you don't know how to say what's really bothering you.
... miss the sunrises and sunsets because you have better places to be.
... sleep on cheap sheets.
... let someone else define what happiness means to you.
... stop yourself from splurging: on the good champagne, the perfect lip gloss, shoes that go with exactly one thing you own or that last extra star in your hotel rating.
... complain more than you celebrate.
... prolong dinner parties or inviting company over because the house isn't as clean as you'd like.
... never learn how to unapologetically and confidently say "no, thanks" without a single word of explanation.
... never have your soul moved: by a movie, a book, a song, a touch or a look.
... settle.
... lose touch with the people who make you endlessly laugh, recklessly love and spill with joy.
... overvalue intelligence and undervalue kindness.
... wait for the other shoe to drop.
... foolishly think that the best days of your life are all behind you.
... stop holding hands.
What is your life too short for?