As I started this piece, it was going to be my version of ‘The Sunscreen Song’ by Baz Luhrmann. But as I went on, I realised that I liked his original advice so much that I didn’t want to change it! Ok, so I don’t agree with all of the lyrics but I like it as a whole. (Plus I don’t have the talent to try and fit it to the music and rhythm of the original!).

So this kind of changed into a letter to myself. It is advice that I need to listen to and attempt to follow. There are probably many more valid and meaningful pieces of advice out there, but these are the most relevant for me.

Smile. Even when you don’t feel like it. If you smile enough, maybe you’ll just trick your body into believing that you’re happy. And even if you don’t, someone who sees your smile might start to feel happy.

But allow yourself to feel sad when you need to. Nobody can be happy all the time. It’s ok to to be upset and to cry, even if you don’t know the reason why.
But don’t wallow for too long. Don’t let your unhappiness take over your life and stop you from living.

Dance, hop, leap about the room. Oh and do plenty of galloping. I challenge you to gallop down the road without a smile on your face!

Sing in the rain, just as Gene Kelly did. Don’t be afraid of the rain. You’re not going to melt! Pick up that umbrella of yours, swing it over your head, spin it around and don’t let the rain bring you down.

Don’t feel guilty for eating chocolate. Even if it is the whole bar. Resistance is futile. Just don’t give in to the temptation ALL the time.

Don’t let clutter take over your life. It is ok to keep things that are sentimental, but choose the really important things. If it is not beautiful or useful, do you really need to keep it?

Use your special things instead of saving them. You know the things I mean; the pretty candles, the lacy underwear, the best crockery and cutlery set, the expensive bed sheets, your favourite mug. What are you saving them for? A special occasion? How would you define a special occasion? Every day should be special. So go on, bring out those items, and use them with joy and pride.

Try not to let unhealthy guilt overwhelm you. Whatever your reason for it is, feeling guilty is not going to make it better. Be pro-active and do something about it, or make a conscious decision to move on. But don’t allow that destructive feeling to take over your life. Accept what happened and make amends if you can, whether it is with yourself or with others.

Don’t neglect your friends. Try to be there for them in the same way that they have been there for you. Life would be impossible without friends – they are the glue that keeps you together.

And finally, in a similar manner to the above suggestion, keep in touch with your family. It doesn’t matter whether these are actual relatives, or a collection of people you have come to know as ‘family’.  Let them know how much you love and appreciate them. Their support in the tough times and their cheer in the good times can make a tremendous difference in your life.

Now it’s time for me to re-read this post and actually take my own advice!