Be Your Own Valentine? 

Here is a reprint of an article that I wrote for the St Louis Post Dispatch. I hope this article inspires you to have your best Valentine’s day ever! 

Vow to do something nice for you this year

Valentine’s Day is upon us once again. What would happen if this year you vow to be your own Valentine? What would that mean? Here are several ways to bring joy to yourself, and ultimately joy to those around you. 

First, look at what activity or responsibility you need to take a break from, a sabbatical, if you will. Think about how happy you would be if you gave yourself an evening or a few hours of freedom. Perhaps you have been working very long hours and want a night to yourself. Spend some time reading the book that is sitting on the nightstand, answering a few emails that are long overdue, or watching a video. Taking off just one evening could completely rejuvenate you.

In fact, when was the last time you spent some time checking in with yourself? Ask yourself how you are doing , what you are feeling and where you are standing on your life’s current issues and events. Taking time to reflect could give a new perspective on a situation that has been on your mind for a while. As a Valentine’s gift to yourself this year, try something new and different, or something that has been on your ‘want to do’ list for a long time. Sign up for that cooking class, start training for a race, or decide to actually move forward by hiring a coach! Take a sabbatical from inactivity and set your sights on doing something that you have always wanted to do. 

Another great way to be your own Valentine is to take care of that one item that has been hanging over your head for months. Is it the phone call that you have been putting off, or that project that you let slide for the past few months? By taking on and completing an unfinished task, you would give yourself the best Valentine’s present of all: relief from the burden of worry. And by the way, what would happen if you took a sabbatical from worrying in general for the day? 

One of the nicest ways to honor you is to do good works for others. Could being your own Valentine include some volunteer activities? What have you been meaning to do, or participate in, but have put off? Spend some time giving back and expressing your gratitude. Volunteers are always needed even for one special event. The more you give to others, the more space you create for good things to come to you.