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Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine’s Day

13/02/2017
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“Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love.” William Shakespeare

Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine’s Day

Where there is great love, there are always wishes. Willa Cather
How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said. Victor Hugo
The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along. Rumi

– ✿♡✿Happy Valentine’s Day!✿♡✿ – Every year, on Valentine’s Day, we spend enormous effort thinking of ways to impress our loved ones; we buy chocolates, flowers, and other special trinkets, and blow them sweet kisses to show our deepest affections. Yet, as these experiences dance around our heads and fill us with memories of magical or miserable moments, we must NOT forget that love is an every day affair. That love affair carries over to everything we do so while we are enjoying our simple or extravagant gifts, we should take a moment to express our gratitude for the goodwill and good folks in our lives. While we’re at it, we can take some time to pamper ourselves and nurture our souls. Self love precedes all the loving gestures we mete out on this and any other day.

Do you remember your first Valentine? Your memorable or saddest Valentine? Valentine’s Day can be a trigger for good memories and not so good ones of unrequited love, shattered dreams and long gone lovers…All of these memories count for something and add to our bag of life stories we carry with us; sometimes they are tucked away as scars or as sacred events. What matters most is that we motivate ourselves to build healthier, positive and fulfilling experiences and memories. While love can be exhilarating and enervating, it can heat us up and leave us cold and we must learn to move forward with life and not get stuck. We can take the experiences, bundle them up, tie them with a glorious bow, and offer them to the Gods; asking for a compassionate lover, a lasting companion, gratitude for loved ones, grace for future loves, and above all, blessings for fulfilling love. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Each year, when Valentine’s Day comes around, I am reminded of an article “Do You Love Yourself?” by inspirational author Louise Hay. It is an important one I recommend to all to read because She offers twelve important tools/tips on self love that we can use to help us push past our old tired thinking and get back on the path to self love and growth. Since Valentine’s Day focuses on the subject of love, these tips are powerful and timely for this season, and I encourage you to add them to your daily motivation/inspiration guide and routine.  They are:

Stop All Criticism.                               Support Yourself.
Forgive Yourself.                                 Do Mirror Work
Don’t Scare Yourself.                         Be Loving to Your Negatives.
Be Gentle and Kind and Patient.    Love Yourself
Be Kind to Your Mind.                       Take Care of Your Body.
Praise Yourself.                                    Do It Now.

What do you know about Valentine’s Day? On February 14th, in countries around the world, lovers coo words of affection in celebration of the love they share. According to historical sources, this popular love-fest is held in remembrance of possibly three (3) martyred Saints named Valentine; a priest, a bishop, and a Christian missionary in Africa, and was created by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. Yet, other accounts suggest Valentine’s Day is truly in observance of Lupercalia; an ancient rite of fertility and that any ties to the aforementioned saints are merely coincidental. Some believe the tradition grew from the days of Claudius I and the sacrifice young men made in leaving for war instead of staying home to raise a family; the celebration honored a wish those left behind had for the safe return of their beloved. The wistful sentiments that arise on this day prevails as lovers return to share a gift or a special moment and memory with their beloved.

A POEM: Here Is The Deepest Secret Nobody Knows. by E. E. Cummings
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
And the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
Which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide.
And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart.
I carry your heart.
I carry it in my heart.

The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for January and February 2017 are:

JANUARY
01/01   –  01 New Year’s Day, Hanukkah ends, 06 Epiphany, 06 Three Kings
01/08   –  08 Golden Globes Award,  11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day, 12 Full Moon
01/16   –  16  Martin Luther King Day, 18 Winnie the Pooh Day, 20 Inauguration Day
01/23 –  27 Commemoration Victims of the Holocaust, 28 Chinese New Year
01/29  –  29 Inspire your heart with art
FEBRUARY

0/6 – Lame Duck Day, 12, Lincoln’s Birthday
0/13 – 14, Valentine’s Day, 15, Constitution Day,
0/20 – 20, Presidents’ Day, Washington’s Birthday, 24, Carnival/Flag Day, 26, New Moon
0/27 – 27, Clean Monday, 28, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday,

Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2017?

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– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.

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— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab

More Below!
“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” Frank Morgan

Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine’s Day

Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Happy Valentine’s Day

Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey. Lord Byron
You are always new, the last of your kisses was ever the sweetest. John Keats
The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love. Margaret Atwood
Give me a kiss, and to that kiss a score; Then to that twenty, add a hundred more: A thousand to that hundred: so kiss on, To make that thousand up a million. Treble that million, and when that is done, Let’s kiss afresh, as when we first begun. Robert Herrick

Why Valentine’s Day? Given the chance, most of us would love our most intimate relationships to be deeply affectionate and last forever and ever and… well, you know, for eternity. The fact is that passion wanes when reality sets in and we all need  a romantic recharge  with a bit of positive kismet mixed in; that is why the yearly romantic ritual of celebrating Valentine’s Day fits the bill. It gives folks a chance to indulge their loved ones and honer them in a special way.

What more do you Know about Valentine’s Day? Despite the myth/mystery around the origins of Valentine’s Day and it’s presumed connection to Ancient Rome, what we do know is that the tradition has remained popular since the 19th century when the first valentine love note-cards where given in Britain. The notion, in some circles, was that the cards would serve as a sort of promissory note of fidelity for both the giver and the recipient. Of course, if most of us had the prescience to know a lover from a lout, we’d all select partners who would lavish us with love all year round; not just on the 45th day of the year.

Did you know that in the USA, Esther Howland is credited with developing the first Valentine’s Day card business in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1847? The cards were meant to help people to stop whining and start loving. By the 1950s, the exchange of cards grew to include roses and chocolates in red heart boxes. The diamond cartels joined the commercialization bandwagon in the 1980s by making a gift of jewelry another cherished way to celebrate the day. The millennium and the growth of the internet brought a new tradition in digital cards and online gift giving.

Today, the celebrations include music, parties, trips, extravagant gifts and wining/dinning limited only by our imagination and point of view. So, as you prepare for the endless indulgences tomorrow, send a kiss of gratitude to all who made this a tradition and then send another kiss to those who might be home alone and celebrating it without a loved one nearby. We are all deserving of love and we can start by loving ourselves and giving thanks for the many ways it shows up in our lives. Happy Valentine’s Day! <3

A POEM: A Valentine’s Day Prayer via Jeremiah ~ 31:3
I have loved you with an everlasting love,
with unfailing love I have drawn you to myself
May the unfailing love of God encompass you
and may this Valentine’s Day be filled with love,
understanding and contentment as you journey
through life with those you hold dear!
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Have a Happy, Healthy 2017!

Any Zen Antics stories via Goodweb.cn

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Positive Motivation Tip: Practice loving yourself every day; especially on Valentine’s Day!

Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note.
Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below)
Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)com
Category tag: – Share your post using Motivation Mondays
Twitter hashtag: – Use this on Twitter #MotvnM
Dedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-up
Facebook Page: MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others.
Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.

Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page)
Tag: – Motivation Mondays
Hashtag: – #MotvnM
Related Posts

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos –   via Wikipedia, and/or  Valentine’s Day,  Valentines via Pixabay

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

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from → Global Events, Love Life, Motivation Mondays, Positive Advice, Posts & Photos 2017
133 Comments
  1. robin masshole mommy permalink
    13/02/2017 4:28 pm

    While we don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, I know lots of people will be celebrating tomorrow and I hope everyone has a great day.

  2. Mihaela Echols permalink
    13/02/2017 4:30 pm

    That is such a great question. From time to time I need to remind myself to love myself too. WE have to learn to love ourselves so we can love others as well.

  3. Amber permalink
    13/02/2017 5:13 pm

    I hope you have a fantastic Valentine’s Day! Ours is going to be low key. We don’t do anything fancy–going out for dinner=crowds, and no thank you. But we do exchange small gifts. Like chocolate.

  4. Kelly Reci permalink
    13/02/2017 5:22 pm

    Happy Valentines day to you and to all the readers! This is perfect motivation to read with your partner. The Valentine’s Day Prayer via Jeremiah ~ 31:3 is very perfect, i actually planning to write it up on my Vcard for my Hubby!

  5. momsthumbreviews permalink
    13/02/2017 5:57 pm

    I’m loving all the happy love quotes! I’m a quote fanatic, in that I usually have to read, pin or post a quote every day fanatic; they are great little nuggets that brighten one’s day!

  6. mira pstr permalink
    13/02/2017 6:02 pm

    I think the right thing is to consider every day as a valentine’s day, not only with husband fiance or boyfreind but with every person that we love …

  7. Marceline Dementori permalink
    13/02/2017 6:11 pm

    I don’t really believe in celebrating Valentine’s Day. I think everyday is a chance to show your loved ones how much you really care for them. I love that you mentioned how we should treat others though, it’s a good reminder for us all.

  8. porcheberry permalink
    13/02/2017 6:23 pm

    Very thoughtful. I think I liked the poems you included the most.

  9. Robin Ross-Fleming at THEINSPIRED.life permalink
    13/02/2017 7:07 pm

    This year I am celebrating ME for Valentines Day…. so I went and bought a few things that would make me happy to see them all year long, and plan on skipping the chocolate as am on a low carb diet. But happy all the same!

  10. Author Brandi Kennedy permalink
    13/02/2017 7:41 pm

    First you got me with the self love tips and then you wrap it up with a scripture? I love this post! And I hadn’t realize that diamonds/jewelry didn’t come into the Valentine’s game until that recently!

    • Eliz@MirthandMotivation permalink*
      15/02/2017 12:25 am

      Thank you Brandi! It;s genesis is very fascinating…

      • Author Brandi Kennedy permalink
        15/02/2017 9:12 am

        Apparently so. I liked that I learned something new from this – always a bonus.

      • Eliz@MirthandMotivation permalink*
        15/02/2017 11:28 am

        Well, thank you Mz. Brandi! ✿♡✿Happy Valentine’s Day!✿♡✿

  11. My Rambling Reviews permalink
    13/02/2017 8:28 pm

    Love the beautiful poems, especially the deepest secret nobody knows… Your motivational Monday’s is a cool, and positive thing. Happy Valentine’s Day!

  12. momknowsbest15 permalink
    13/02/2017 9:39 pm

    I learned a lot about how Valentines came to be. I will be spending it with my husband. I made him a peanut butter pie.

  13. kaitr27 permalink
    13/02/2017 9:47 pm

    I will have to check out that article by Louise Hay. I have a hard time accepting myself which can cause problems in my relationship. I know I need to work on me if I want my marriage to be better.

  14. Eileen permalink
    13/02/2017 11:20 pm

    Happy Valentine’s day to you! I hope that today, at least of a day, we’d all come together and stop fighting with each other. Let love prevail!

  15. Sarah Bailey permalink
    13/02/2017 11:55 pm

    Valentines should be celebrated always and we should treat others with much love and affection. Multiple heartbreaks and sorrows should only be a learning experience from the past and forgotten along the way. We should learn from our mistakes but do not restrain yourself to love again. because love is so wonderful and worth risking for. Love makes the world go round because it moves in mysterious ways.

  16. Ana John permalink
    13/02/2017 11:58 pm

    Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Thank You for sharing these personal tips above on this beautiful occasion of St, Valentine’s Day 🙂

  17. Dina permalink
    14/02/2017 12:13 am

    Such a Sweet and motivating post! Happy Valentine’s Day to you ❤
    However you spend this day of love, we hope you are healthy and happy.
    The Fab Four of Cley

  18. Elizabeth permalink
    14/02/2017 2:11 am

    Happy Valentine’s Day to you too! We don’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day in my house as my husband refuses to be dictated to by a commercial event. Alas, this means I miss out but hey ho, we have to make compromises, eh?

  19. Shaheen Khan permalink
    14/02/2017 2:25 am

    Love this beautiful post…great walkthrough the history of Valentines day. I do believe though that there should be the same excitement to express your love 365 days round, after all the feelings r the same… Why wait to express with grandiose on one single day😊

  20. Erin (@FaithFoodFamFun) permalink
    14/02/2017 3:32 am

    Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, Elizabeth (hey, that’s my middle name! It’s so beautiful, just like you are!) I loved the prayer from Jeremiah, it’s so fitting for today!

  21. Rhian Westbury permalink
    14/02/2017 4:37 am

    I think Valentine’s is a lovely time to show people how much you care (not just romantic partners) but it can be too commercialised x

  22. terrislittlehaven permalink
    14/02/2017 6:55 am

    Happy Valentines Day. I love all of your photos celebrating this day of love.

  23. Bhushavali permalink
    14/02/2017 6:56 am

    Wish you a very happy Valentines Day to you too Elizabeth! Interesting to read its evolution since 1847 in USA…

  24. Anosa permalink
    14/02/2017 7:08 am

    Happy Valentine’s! I’ve always loved this quote: “Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey”. Thank you for sharing the Valentine’s prayer as well.

  25. Jenny permalink
    14/02/2017 7:50 am

    Happy Valentine’s day to you!!! Such a fun holiday to celebrate wit friends and family!

  26. emmaeatsandexplores permalink
    14/02/2017 8:00 am

    So true that you need to love yourself first before anyone else will be able to love you too! Learning to love yourself is one of the hardest lessons in life

  27. Emma White (@TheRealSupermum) permalink
    14/02/2017 8:14 am

    I do have to admit that I think Valentines Day is a little over the top and very commercial and would much rather my partner treat me with surprises all year round or as a surprise not just because they are expected to on this one day of the year

  28. MyYellowApron permalink
    14/02/2017 9:09 am

    This is a perfect Valentine Day post for me – Because, I also think, Why Valentine’s Day when passion and love go away as soon as the reality sets in. But I also think,love is not all about flowers and chocolates and wine and dates.., love also means, cooking a meal together, taking care of each other small needs.

    • Eliz@MirthandMotivation permalink*
      15/02/2017 12:04 am

      Love covers a large swath of emotional real estate! ✿♡✿Happy Valentine’s Day!✿♡✿

  29. Ana De-Jesus permalink
    14/02/2017 9:34 am

    I always found the history behind Valentines day interesting in juxtaposition to how we celebrate it today! I hope you are having a wonderful day.

  30. alisonrost permalink
    14/02/2017 11:36 am

    I can’t think of a more fun topic than Valentine’s Day and all things love! I especially liked the photo of the flamingos above.

  31. Dawn McAlexander permalink
    14/02/2017 11:39 am

    My husband and I usually don’t spend a whole lot of money on each other for Valentine’s Day. We usually just watch a movie together or something.

  32. Lindsey permalink
    14/02/2017 12:33 pm

    For me it’s not about showering your loved one with gifts, it’s the little things that count, like a hug or saying I love you, looking after them when they are poorly. x

  33. Julie Porter permalink
    14/02/2017 3:06 pm

    Valentine’s Day has not been a big deal for my husband and I, we don’t limit showing our love to a day that has been commercialized. It is something that we do throughout the year. I really like the poem by e e cummings you have included here, it is one of my very favorite poems.

  34. Cynthia Nicoletti permalink
    14/02/2017 3:43 pm

    I read for the first time all about the “true” meaning of Valentine’s Day. I love the poem A Valentine’s Day Prayer via Jeremiah ~ 31:3 It has such great meaning.

  35. Cindy Ingalls permalink
    14/02/2017 4:13 pm

    Valentine’s day is a great time to remember to not only love others but yourself as well. I plan on doing something nice for myself today so I can continue to give others.

  36. AJ Money Matters permalink
    14/02/2017 5:00 pm

    I think everyday love should be spread either between friends/family, or your partner. I definitely see the meaning of Valentines Day as it can be a good reminder to couples and those who spend it with friends, how important relationships are. But it has become very consumerist as well.
    Amanda

  37. travel blogger permalink
    14/02/2017 5:36 pm

    I like what you said about this day being a reminder to focus on our relationship and return some of that spark. It can be so hard to make time for a relationship with careers and kids, but this is the perfect time to just focus on each other.

  38. Ivette Gordils permalink
    14/02/2017 6:34 pm

    Beautiful Valentines Day Post, I agree that people should follow those 12 tools on self-love… Stop criticism, do mirror work, but a lot of that is not always easy for some. And these poems are very inspirational.

  39. Becky Willis permalink
    14/02/2017 8:19 pm

    Wow you had so much to offer in this post. I agree that you need to love yourself first which will then allow you to love others. All of your information was very well thought out and I can tell you spent a lot of time on it.-commenting from Mom Blog Society

  40. bethany1980 permalink
    14/02/2017 8:36 pm

    Awww happy Valentines Day. Love this.

  41. fashionphases permalink
    14/02/2017 9:15 pm

    Valentine’s Day means so much to me because it is the day I married my husband. We don’t celebrate this day with each other, we like to include our children too. We even took our children to our honeymoon when we got remarried a few years ago.

  42. Eileen permalink
    14/02/2017 9:40 pm

    There is nothing more I would love to do than to spend more time to love myself. That is, if these people around me would give me that time! There’s just so much to do, so many things to pick up that I sometimes think I should have been born a robot instead. Anyway, I wish you had a great Valentine’s day.

  43. Czjai Reyes-Ocampo permalink
    14/02/2017 10:11 pm

    Hope you had a love-filled Valentine’s Day! We skip the traditional roses and chocolates, they’re a waste of money as far as I’m concerned. 😀

  44. Abby permalink
    14/02/2017 11:21 pm

    I love your thoughts on Valentine’s Day. I really do not like it that this holiday is overly commercialized these days. It is less about the thought and more about how grandiose the present is!

  45. chei permalink
    15/02/2017 12:40 am

    Happy Valentines Day! Lets all spread the love! Love your poems!

  46. Jeypi Kyu permalink
    15/02/2017 9:06 am

    Lemme copy paste these things here first

    Stop All Criticism. Support Yourself.
    Forgive Yourself. Do Mirror Work
    Don’t Scare Yourself. Be Loving to Your Negatives.
    Be Gentle and Kind and Patient. Love Yourself
    Be Kind to Your Mind. Take Care of Your Body.
    Praise Yourself. Do It Now.

    everything were totally on point! I really love these things that ypu pointed out here ELizabeth.. i can’t help but titally agree with them 🙂

  47. Cara (@StylishGeek) permalink
    15/02/2017 9:53 am

    Your post is so interesting! I never thought about thinking of Valentine’s day as a reflection on how we love ourselves…and I agree with you! We should! After all, we have more love to give if we show love to ourselves first! Thanks for the motivation!

    • Eliz@MirthandMotivation permalink*
      15/02/2017 11:32 am

      Thank you Cara, I feel that we need to start with self nurture and, that way, we come to relationships as a whole person not a broken person.✿♡✿Happy Valentine’s Day!✿♡✿

  48. Dawn Gibson-Thigpen permalink
    15/02/2017 10:06 am

    happy valentines day. love your poems. always a pleasure to read your writings

  49. eazynazy permalink
    15/02/2017 10:49 am

    aww i loved the poem and yea happy valentine’s day to you too 🙂

  50. Mrs. D permalink
    15/02/2017 11:18 am

    What a perfect article for Valentine’s day! The husband is very practical, instead of flowers he’ll buy me a plant instead. Let’s spread the love not hate. Thanks for sharing!

  51. Sondra Barker permalink
    15/02/2017 11:21 am

    Happy Valentines Day to you, I hope you enjoyed your day. I learned so much about the holiday that I never knew before, thank you for sharing! And I love that poem you included at the end

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