True Love

by Judy Klipin

There is nothing like Valentine’s Day and all the publicity and media hype surrounding it to make you hyper-aware of your love-life (or lack thereof). Everywhere you look, there are hearts, cupids and teddy bears on display.

I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day. I don’t think there is any other holiday that is designed to put pressure on people as much as V-Day does. If you are in a relationship, the pressure is on to celebrate it ‘properly’ (ideally with a proposal of marriage, but otherwise a romantic dinner and a gift will do). If you are single – even happily so – the romance messages are relentless reminders of how un-together you are.

The thing about Valentine’s Day, in my view, is that it has very little to do with love. It is nothing more than a very clever marketing exercise aimed at getting us to buy useless and insanely ugly soft toys, over-priced and under-fragranced red roses, and meals at overcrowded restaurants. (As you can tell, I feel quite strongly about this.)

This year, I vote we all do what it takes to bring back the love. And I am talking real love not a commercialised version of it. I am talking about a love that makes you feel better about yourself, not worse. That makes you trust yourself more, not less. That helps you to grow, not shrink.

I know, beyond any shadow of doubt, that love – like energy – creates more love. The more love you have in your life, the more you bring into your life. And no matter how much you already have, there’s always room for more.

Starting with you (always a good place to start), what can you do to bring more real love back into your life? How can you be the love you want to see in your life and in the world?

I am loving myself by limiting my exposure to horrific news stories, finding peace and beauty wherever and whenever possible, and spending time with people I love and who I feel happy to be with. I’d love to hear how you choose to bring more love into your life.

Love and more love to you this month…

Feeling overwhelmed in your life, work or relationships?

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