Celebrate You This Valentine’s Day
This Valentine’s Day I challenge you to celebrate yourself because you never want to lose sight of who you are as a person regardless of your relationship status. You are an amazing human being with unique gifts and attributes. Sometimes we seek approval from our partner or others, but your vote is the only one that really counts. Perhaps we allow the scale to validate us. The scale can only reveal your weight, but not your immeasurable qualities such as your intellectual curiosity, emotional intelligence, or personality traits (i.e., empathy or sense of humor).
We often send flowers that are characteristic of the individual or the occasion to express our feelings. Roses are the most beloved flowers in the world! Roses are grown in gardens for their beauty, versatility, and fragrance. My husband planted a rose garden in a myriad of colors one Valentine’s Day! The British do love their gardens and Englishmen are incredibly romantic. It is my favorite gift ever and I love to pick roses and put them in bud vases and the scent is intoxicating!
Roses are available in a plethora of colors: lavender, pink, yellow, white, salmon, etc. Which flower or rose describes you as a person? Red roses represent true love and have appeared throughout history and across cultures as both a political and religious symbol. The Texas dozen is 16 yellow roses (everything is bigger in Texas) and it represents friendship, joy, and get well. In our wedding we had lavender roses which means enchantment, majesty, and love at first sight; and pink which carries the connotation of grace, elegance, sweetness, and poetic romance. White roses are indicative of purity, innocence, sympathy, and spirituality.
We often give and receive roses on Valentine’s Day, but if you are not in a relationship it may create loneliness. Regardless if you receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers, Belgium chocolates, a singing telegram, or even a musical Valentine card this holiday may still be lonely for some of us. Loneliness does not mean that we are doing something wrong! In fact, you may be doing everything right so vow to embrace your autonomy and find a partner that truly deserves you. Healthy beginnings have happy endings!
Loneliness is not reserved for singles: an estranged marriage, a primary caretaker, someone grieving the loss of a loved one, a person going through a breakup or divorce, or one who is simply tired of kissing frogs. Loneliness is one of the most common emotions that precipitates overeating since many of us turn to food to nurture and nourish ourselves. Perhaps what we are really craving is intimacy, companionship, love or friendship since emotional connection is at the top of our hierarchal needs.
Celebrate you this Valentine’s Day:
Put yourself first by gifting yourself via attending a musical, play, sporting event, or host a dinner party with others and ask everyone to bring a guest.
Plan ahead for Valentine’s Day whether it be with friends or if you choose to be alone, baby yourself with a book by your favorite author, spa treatment, bubble bath, glass of champagne, bouquet of flowers (the ones that are characteristic of you) and Godiva chocolates.
Make a list of the criterion that you deserve in a healthy relationship (i.e., trust, emotionally available).
Master the art of fostering positive self-esteem and body esteem since we typically attract partners with the same level of both.
This Valentine’s Day celebrate yourself with a sense of adventure (i.e., travel, visit a winery, take sailing classes or golf lessons, get certified for scuba diving, learn to play a musical instrument like the piano or guitar, or take salsa classes). You will have no regrets when you meet Mr. or Mrs. Right because you will have fulfilled your dreams!