Rooney, my 12-year-old basset hound lays beside me as I do what has become a favorite Sunday ritual. I wake up early, feed him breakfast, pour a hot cup of coffee and then sit up, writing in our King size bed, as he and Sheila sleep soundly. I drink my coffee and scratch his head in between thoughts.

Today I decided to take a page out of Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project - and list some of my rules for adulthood. Her rules are a little more set in stone, but as of July 2019, I’m sticking with these five for starters.