THE COURAGE TO LOVE: Giving From a Good Place

Valentine’s Day is almost here!  I’m kind of not liking that the celebration of LOVE only gets one day, but I’ll take it.  Valentine’s Day can be anytime we want, right? 

The whole lead up to this day is pretty amazing .  And although there’s plenty of jewelry, flowers, chocolates and all kinds of cutesy heart-shaped stuff reminding us that we get to be in our feelings on Valentine’s Day – it really doesn’t require spending money to let that special someone know how you feel.  It just has to be genuine.  This day packs really ‘good vibes’ when people give authentic love AND show appreciation for the authentic love that has been given to them.      

THE HEART MATTERS 

The gift isn’t the only thing that matters – the HEART that gives and receives the gift matters too. So, here’s what I’m thinking – be intentional!  Purposefully let your special person know that you are giving from a good place in YOUR heart.  The person receiving the gift should definitely do the same.  Letting your heart shine through while giving says, ‘I care.’  And receiving from the heart will really amp up appreciation for the gift.  Here are some tips you can use to ensure you are giving from a good place.   

LOVE YOU FIRST 

It’s quite possible for people to bypass their own broken heart to make someone else’s heart feel special.  It doesn’t have to be this way – all hearts matter and everyone deserves to feel special.  I plan to take this a notch deeper in an upcoming blog, but for now the tip is to take care of YOU.  Treat yourself well.  By doing this, you’ll see the value of treating others well too – which means you won’t mind putting extra effort and heart into a gift that celebrates your love for them. 

BE WILLING TO LET YOUR GUARD DOWN

Be positive and optimistic.  Go into new experiences – new.  It can be fun and exhilarating to throw caution to the wind and let your heart go to that vulnerable place from which you boldly say or do the wonderful things you feel without letting negative thoughts stop you.  This builds some great memories – which is the gift that keeps on giving. 

GET TO KNOW THEM 

I heard a quote that says, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” There’s truth to this.  It takes a caring person to give up their valuable time to get to get to know someone.  Their likes, hopes, dreams, love language or favorite color – matter and hold a great significance.  Not only that, it’s gives the gift of time which is way more valuable than money.  And here’s another thing – it wraps a pretty nice bow around YOU, which could very well be the top gift on their list. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!