No sweetheart? No problem! You don’t need a sweetheart to express love on Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day was one of my favorite holidays in elementary school. Our teachers said if we wanted to give Valentine’s to our friends in class, we needed to make sure we gave one to EVERYONE. From a child's point of view, I thought it was the coolest thing to get notes and candy from my classmates. From that experience I viewed Valentine’s Day from a different perspective. I thought of the different types of Greek love whether it’s philia-love for your fellow being, agape-love in the spiritual sense, or eros-romantic love. Let’s not forget self-love! So if there’s no eros in your life, why not focus on the other types of love? Here are 3 ways to do that!
1. Do an act of kindness. This can be as simple as pushing an abandoned grocery cart in the parking lot back to the cart return. Trust me, the store clerk will appreciate that. While driving, let someone over in your lane when they turn on their blinker rather than speed up. Say hello to someone and give them a genuine compliment. Look for an opportunity to serve someone and do it! It will light up your life.
2. Express gratitude to someone. In a world where we hear so much negativity in the news,
it’s nice to hear some positivity! Think of a relative, friend, co-worker, or neighbor and tell them what you appreciate about them verbally or in a note with a goodie. When people feel appreciated they tend to be in a better mood and want to pay it forward. This can start a positive ripple effect.
3. Show love to yourself. One day a dear friend of mine, Sarah Kent, noticed I was feeling a little down. She and I love to say positive affirmations to boost our moods. She told me I needed to put my fingers on my heart and say out loud, “I’m AWESOME!” So, I did. I said it about 5 times and burst into laughter. Sarah responded and said, “Well at least it made you laugh!” Mission accomplished! Showing self-love can also include doing something nice for yourself such as getting a massage, a pedicure, or watch your favorite action movie. Remember, “To thine own self be true…”-Shakespeare
If you have other ways to make Valentine’s Day great, please share it in the comments!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love,
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach
www.skylightcounseling.com
1. Do an act of kindness. This can be as simple as pushing an abandoned grocery cart in the parking lot back to the cart return. Trust me, the store clerk will appreciate that. While driving, let someone over in your lane when they turn on their blinker rather than speed up. Say hello to someone and give them a genuine compliment. Look for an opportunity to serve someone and do it! It will light up your life.
2. Express gratitude to someone. In a world where we hear so much negativity in the news,
it’s nice to hear some positivity! Think of a relative, friend, co-worker, or neighbor and tell them what you appreciate about them verbally or in a note with a goodie. When people feel appreciated they tend to be in a better mood and want to pay it forward. This can start a positive ripple effect.
3. Show love to yourself. One day a dear friend of mine, Sarah Kent, noticed I was feeling a little down. She and I love to say positive affirmations to boost our moods. She told me I needed to put my fingers on my heart and say out loud, “I’m AWESOME!” So, I did. I said it about 5 times and burst into laughter. Sarah responded and said, “Well at least it made you laugh!” Mission accomplished! Showing self-love can also include doing something nice for yourself such as getting a massage, a pedicure, or watch your favorite action movie. Remember, “To thine own self be true…”-Shakespeare
If you have other ways to make Valentine’s Day great, please share it in the comments!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love,
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach
www.skylightcounseling.com
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