Commonsense advice for the uncommon woman

Elizabeth Wurtzel, the bestselling author of Prozac Nation, wrote a number of books, some that were not as dark and morbid as the former. In fact, she dispensed some of the most uplifting tips and nuggets of wisdom for women around the globe, asking them to be happy in their own selves. So here goes, some of the most relevant game-changing advice from one uncommon woman to another.

1. Think Productively

It’s not that you have to see it to believe it; on the contrary, you have to believe it to see it.

2. Be Gorgeous

I myself believe that I am about ten times prettier than I actually am. By dint of sheer willpower, I have managed to convince many people of this.

3. Enjoy Your Single Years

Do not think that the whole point of being single is being married; men don’t think this way, and neither should you.

4. Trust me: No One is looking

You are the only one constantly judging, criticizing, and evaluating yourself. No one else is really bothered unless it is your mother or the nosy neighbor, who really doesn’t matter.

5. Eat dessert

The first step to becoming this living breathing beauty is to eat that banana cream pie and cheesecake with great relish, to have your dessert like you really deserve it.

6. Don’t get up to clear the table, unless the men get up too

It is the age of equality, and to make men believe it, you have to stop doing it. Cleanup should not be gendered. Change the world, one dinner table at a time. Hold a sit-in.

7. Have Opinions

It’s ok to be in the know and thoroughly opinionated about events occurring beyond your love life and an immediate clique of friends. A woman who understands international and current affairs is sexy.

8. Embrace Fanaticism

Harness joie de vivre by pursuing insane interests, consuming passions, and constant sources of gratification that do not depend on the approval of others.

9. Use All Available Resources

Let the M.D.s and the Ph.D.s help you solve your problems so that you don’t become everyone else’s problem.

Remember Ms. Wurtzel’s advice and stay fit and gorgeous. Always.

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Elizabeth Wurtzel, lawyer, journalist, and writer ultimately succumbed to breast cancer at the age of 52 in a Manhattan hospital.

Elizabeth’s life has always been an open book. Literally as well as figuratively, for she has always used the personal as her muse, with every experience, every emotion, every mood put down in words and presented as a book.

Her first memoir, penned in 1994 at age 27 and by far the most popular, Prozac Nation, extensively records her life at Harvard, her drug issues, her active sex life, bouts of depression, gender biases, relationships between parents and children, along with her struggles as a writer. In the book, Elizabeth claims to be one of the first users of Prozac, after it was officially approved by the FDA. Prozac as we all know is one of the first antidepressants available, it affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The book was one of its kind, written in a conversational confessional style not popular then and so released to mixed reviews. However, since then, it has achieved almost cult status with a movie starring Christina Ricci releasing in 2001.

In 1998, she came out with “Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women”, called ‘one of the most entertaining feminist manifestos ever written’ where she linked the lives of women as demanding and disparate as Amy Fisher, Hillary Clinton, Margaux Hemingway, and Nicole Brown Simpson. In 1999, Radical Sanity: Commonsense Advice for Uncommon Women, dispensed advice on how to make your boyfriend do dishes, be self-loving, the secret of life, and how it is within everyone’s grasp. She eventually released four more books, The Bitch Rules: Common Sense Advice for an Uncommon Life, The Secret of Life, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction and Creatocracy, and remained a popular essayist and commentator for years.

Lyricism was a strong element of her writing, with many lines from Prozac Nation being quote-worthy. There’s a line in Prozac Nation, “That is all I want in life: for this pain to seem purposeful.” that just resonates. After all, isn’t this what all the art and books and poetry in the world are all about?

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About the Author

Priyanka Modi is a writer, environmentalist, and mother. Priyanka loves to read and believes that books can change the world. And that is why she conducts storytelling classes to introduce children to this uniquely portable magic. Her fascination for the written word led to her writing a weekly column since 2010. Also, write blogs for health websites and children. You can catch up with her on Instagram at @pri_mods

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