And welcome to my WordPress!  My name is Molly, and I’m about to introduce you, simultaneously, to Me-Today and Me-Ten-Years-Ago.

I’m not exactly certain how I want to do this.  That’s probably why it has taken me so long to kick myself into any sort of gear, be it high or low.

Maybe, instead of explaining the how, we’ll start with the why.  Why do I want to do this?  I suppose I miss the woman who initially wrote each of these rules, sitting in a booth studying (but really ruminating on all the ways she wanted to be).  Thinking about all the ways to live a beautiful life, figuratively and aesthetically.

So, I’d like to spend some time with her, getting reacquainted.

I’ve thought about doing this for so long.  This blog, I mean.  And I have guiltily turned away from the thought of it, probably once a month for the past 10 years.  Because I figured the world didn’t need my 2 cents.  Or that no one would be interested in what I had to say.

And then I remembered:

The young woman I was wrote these rules for herself, and posted them publicly for accountability.  And one by one, people started to enjoy them.  And if there is one thing that’s important to know about me, it’s that I always want everyone to experience joy through time spent with me in any capacity.

So, the woman I am today writes these posts for herself, and posts them publicly because she hopes that if anyone ever reads her thoughts or her fears or her hopes, or any other facet of her experiences, the words here resonate with and bring joy or solace to them.  And if these words reach only one person, then I will be happy.

A lot of time has passed since my Rules days.  A lot of changes have come and gone.  A lot of heartache has occurred.  A lot of steps have been taken away from the place I was in my earlier years.  A lot of doubt and a lot of fear has crept in.  And a lot of lessons have been learned.

Through all of that, I’ve grown into the woman I am now, and I’m looking forward to meeting the woman I will become.  Because while I am the same person I was 10 years ago, the woman who wrote these rules was young.  And naive.  And stubborn.  And set hard rules to live by.  In the same way, Me-Today is going to be some other set of adjectives for Me-Tomorrow.

So here I am: Molly-Today.  Ready to toe the line I set in the sand thousands of days ago.  Ready to possibly argue with my past self, and maybe bring each rule into a new light.  Ready to see how far from the right or wrong I used to be.  Ready to face how far I’ve strayed from my own rules and path.

Here’s my current plan for this blog (which may be adjusted as we go): to spend each week with one rule, examining and supplementing the rule with a variety of mediums.  I’d like to start each week by posting the new rule and my thoughts on the matter.  I’ll figure out the rest of the week as we go; but you can expect memes, music, quotes, and the like.

Without further ado, I now present to you: The 50 Rules on Being Lovely.