Don't Do That

When we were kids, we figured we heard enough "Don't!" for an entire lifetime. It came from parents, teachers, and even strangers at the pet store who weren't on board with our plan to make frogs fly. Back then, "Don't!" was about cutting off our fun at every turn. But as adults, we stopped to think about it and realized that what usually followed "Don't!" was good life advice: Don't touch the stove. Don't take rides from strangers. Don't put things up your nose.

Today, the self-help industry is devoted to telling you what you should do. We're here to tell you what you shouldn't. Don't have that sixth martini. Don't schedule your wedding on Superbowl Sunday. Don't go into debt for a pair of shoes (this one might be negotiable, but you'll need to provide us with pictures). But don't worry--we won't always steer you towards the safe, secure, and staid options. We are, in fact, happy to encourage the occasional recklessness and ridiculousness. Don't skip that party. Don't be embarrassed about not knowing the name of That Guy You Kissed. Don't worry about swearing in front of the baby. We want you to live life to the fullest. We don't want you to live with regrets.

So who are we to tell you what (not) to do? We're three women living in three different time zones with attention spans so short none of us remember how we met. Between us we have four degrees, three shopping addictions, two jobs, two husbands, one house, one baby, no money, and an infinite number of opinions. We've also done a world of stupid shit in our combined ninety-five years, and if we can keep just one person from looking back and thinking, "Why didn't anyone look at me and say, 'Don't do that!'?" then we will have accomplished our goal.

(Wondering if you shouldn't do something? Email us at stopthinkdont@gmail.com)