It's estimated that $19.6 billion will be spent on Valentine's Day 2018. That's a lot to spend in the name of love. Clearly, it's something worthwhile to many, many people.
Holiday's are collective agreements, rituals that we enact to commemorate something we value and thereby enrich our lives. How you honor them is your choice.
I stopped celebrating this holiday, and many others, when I started to live my life more consciously and congruently. It took me a while to deconstruct the things I'd been taught and conditioned to believe and to clarify what's true for me.
If celebrating Valentine's Day brings you joy then good on you. Go for it!
If you feel forced or pushed to celebrate it – as many do – then I invite you to stop, drop into your heart, and disconnect from the external pressure to go along with it. Check in with your inner wisdom and see what you are called to express.
Take this opportunity to redefine how you want to honor the energy of celebrating love in your world.
3 Ways to Celebrate Love
Sharing love and celebrating it is very uncomplicated. Here are three things you can do right now to disconnect from this mass illusion and commercial orchestration:
1. Be of Service. Do something that a loved one appreciates. It could be as simple as cooking dinner (especially if it's something you don't ordinarily do), giving a shoulder rub, or doing anything for them that would make their day.
2. Write a Love Note. Buy a card, or sparkle up some regular note paper, and share what you love about them. Express how they've impacted your world and what makes them special to you.
3. Spend Time Together. A while back I read a great book, The Five Languages of Love. The basic premise is that we all receive love differently. Some of us like gifts, some of us prefer experiences, etc. I'll venture that no matter your love language most of us relish the time we spend with loved ones. This is an easy one to do.
No matter how you honor the energy of the day – or if you decide to opt out entirely – remember that love is everywhere. It is in your cells, it's how you come into being, it's infused into the world and people around you.
If you find yourself alone on this day know that you are part of a legion of light and love. The heart that beats within can easily reach out to others – whether they are with you physically or not. Know that because you are here, life is more!
In the name of love!
PS Want to flex your love muscle? Join me for a Blissings & Blessings Adventure. We'll be writing a daily blessing every day for 5 days. The event runs Feb 19 thru Feb 23. Registration opens on Friday.
