Lately, my blogposts have been pretty practical. I have been talking a lot about careers, decision-making, and have shared a little bit about my own professional journey. But to be quite honest with you: all this practical stuff (though important!) is only one part of life. The other side is the romantic part of life, the part that makes you feel burningly alive, the side that truly creates the types of memories that remain engraved in you for the rest of your life. They are memories that sit in your mind as much as in your body. They are the ones that fuel your soul, your imagination, your love for life in general.

Humans are so complex and we need more than one source of fuel, more than one outlet, more than one focus point in order to be truly, vibrantly, and fiercely engaged with ourselves.

The romantic side of life is huge no matter if you are in a relationship or single! After all, there are masculine and feminine energies within each of us and putting yourself into a romantic mood does not depend on your relationship status.

Over the past few years I have done a lot of work with masculine and feminine energies. My back injury -two herniated disks- was a tremendous wake-up call for me during which I understood that my life was driven too much by masculine energy that focused on achieving, competing, and producing measureable results. I didn’t allow enough space for creativity, play, and yes, ROMANCE.

My injury embodied this inner state of masculine predominance: my vertebrae (the hard, structure, masculine parts) didn’t leave enough room for my disks (the soft, flexible, feminine parts) of my spine. I came to see my spinal column as the perfect symbol of balance and vitality between masculine and feminine energies within myself. This realization revolutionized my life and the way I live on a daily basis.

Today, I would like to propose this question for your own consideration: Do you have enough romance in your life?

So many times people think that romance is reserved for the first year of a new relationship, when in reality true romance starts way before we ever fall in love. It starts with the way we treat ourselves. It starts with how we choose to see and experience our surroundings. It starts with bringing our own masculine and feminine energies into balance so that they can be in harmony with one another.

When I first began to play with this topic, I became sharply aware that I needed to create more space for romance within me and with myself. I was on a trip back in Europe with my family and had a few days by myself in Paris. During these days, I allowed myself to exist without a plan and with no agenda. I went on endless wanders through the city, treated myself to delicious café au laits & croissants, sat on staircases, took photographs, and wrote… a lot. I was sitting in the Jardin du Luxembourg on a warm day in July 2010 and was reflecting in my journal about what it meant for me to create more space for romance as a single 27-year old woman:

Letting myself fall into it.

Letting myself float.

Without choosing a direction, I intuitively follow one.

There is no right or wrong.

I swim in the music of steps, of laughter, of the beating hearts of lovers and children.

I hear the music of life.

An orchestra of beautiful souls.

Playful.

Fearless.

Marvelous.

Alive.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because most of the people I know are also driven by predominantly masculine energy focused on achieving and competing. Knowing how important internal harmony is on a mental, physical, and spiritual playing field, I would love to encourage you to create more space for romance in your life –both, in your relationship with your partner and in your relationship with yourself. Giving yourself this gift of time is an active decision. Our lives are busy so we have to create space intentionally.

We cannot wait for chunks of time to magically appear, but we can choose to create the space we need for play and romance to enter our lives now.

The best part is that this doesn’t have to be hard. Here are a few of my personal favorite ways to weave more romance into my everyday life:

Light candles.

Play music.

Dress up.

Write love notes.

Spray perfume.

Take baths.

Breath deeply.

Listen acutely.

Share stories.

Eat chocolate truffles.

Make out with your boo (as if you were in Paris;))

Engage.

Get flowers.

Have breakfast in bed.

Laugh.

Hold hands.

Dance.

Whistle.

Hug.

Care.

In the comments below, let me know what some of your favorite ways are to create more romance in your life.

P.S.: The first session of my workshop “Decision-making made easy and fun” is TONIGHT. The topic will be: Flushing out Confusion. The 4 truths about decision-making. JOIN US! Your first session will be 25% off. Find out more here.

Check out other fun, inspirational, and love-filled blog posts here!