One day, feeling lethargic and half-alive, I come upon this scene: A young woman sitting outside on the steps of a building. She is surrounded by young men and totally in command of the moment, teasing each in turn in a way that piques his peculiar personality. Their mouths hang open at the spectacle of her attraction, and her vitality visibly brightens with their attention.

It occurs to me then that the secret of feeling vibrant may lie in having an audience around that you can tease and flirt with and lead along the way of slowly falling in love with you.

So I prayed, Dear God, you created me. Some of your essence lives inside of me. Show yourself as a group of admirers. I will tease you; you will accept my advances. I will pause. You will eagerly wait what comes next. I will invent new stories, and you will listen, rapt with my charisma.

Bahauddin , The Drowned Book by Coleman Barks, John Moyne