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Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day

12/02/2018
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“Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day


Happiness Frequency – Serotonin, Dopamine and Endorphin Release Music

Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet. Plato
Most people are slow to champion love because they fear the transformation it brings into their lives. And make no mistake about it: love does take over and transform the schemes and operations of our egos in a very mighty way. Aberjhani
Love is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act does not involve judgment and decision. Erich Fromm

What is Love beyond the declarations made on the 14th? How are you nurturing yourself? As Valentine’s Day rolls around, many of us go into overdrive mode. We pull out all the stops with chocolates, flowers and conjure up special loving outings with our beloveds. For those who choose to skip all the niceties, there is Galentine’s Day or a Treat yourself day. But love and all the complicated emotions we experience with it is a life long journey, and it doesn’t start or stop after the 14th. Beyond Valentine’s Day, we need to remember that self care is key to being able to care for others. When your tank is empty, there is little you can sincerely do for others. This is also Heart Health month so we must care about our heart on so many levels and it begins with us and our selfcare/love. In case you haven’t noticed, I have included videos that offer soothing music to help us tap into our happiness and relaxation quotient. Give one of the four a try and you’d be nicely surprised!

Every 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.

 

“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” Paulo Coelho

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day


Relaxing Music – with Binaural Beats for Serotonin Release, Happiness Meditation, Happiness Frequency

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up. James Baldwin
There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. John Lennon
This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet. Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi

What motivates your most important relationships? love or fear? Embrace the love and examine the cause of your fear. Regardless of what motivates you, it is important to maintain a grateful heart because a grateful heart never loses the battle in the game of love, no matter the outcome. Stay grateful for all the miraculous things that happen in your life and celebrate them. Enjoy the ups and the downs, and remember to express thanks to those who show you that they care. We live in a world of billions of people, yet many hurt for lack of care and consideration. Imagine how fortunate you are for having those who care about your well-being. If you are afraid to acknowledge the love then the fear dominates. Cherish it.

What do you know about Valentine’s Day? In some places, it is believed that on this day, women were given the go ahead to enjoy the company of a man they admired. But the story doesn’t end there. 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. So you get to decide your definition of love and how you wish to express it… be reflective as it is a powerful emotion.

 

The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for JAN 2018/FEB 2018 are:

 

JANUARY

01/01 –    01/01 New Year’s Day, 01/04  World Braille Day, 01/07 Orthodox Christmas, Golden Globes Award
01/08 –   01/11 Human Trafficking Awareness,  01/14 Orthodox New Year,
01/15 –   01/15  Martin Luther King Day,  01/21 World Religion Day,
01/22 –   01/26 International Customs Day, 01/27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
01/28 –   01/28  Grammy Awards,

FEBRUARY

02/04 – 02, National Wear Red Day, Groundhog Day,
02/11 – 13, Mardi Gras, 14, Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, 16, Chinese New Year
02/18 – 19, Presidents Day
02/25 – Wrapping Up February – Black History Month, American Heart Month, National African American History

 

Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?

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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!
“I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, ‘I love you.’ … There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.” Maya Angelou

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day


Super Intelligence: Memory Music

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu
This is what our love is––a sacred pattern of unbroken unity sewn flawlessly invisible inside all other images, thoughts, smells, and sounds. Aberjhani
I think… if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts. Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

What kind of love are you living by? How can we learn and grow during this special season? We often forget that the best gifts of love we can give are our presence, our attention, and our shared memories. We can make Valentine’s Day even more special if we stop to consider its deepest value which far exceeds the trinkets we buy and share. The following Valentine’s Day Tips should help add a spring to your step and the warmth of love to your heart.
1) First and foremost, Send yourself a Valentine’s Day card and a bouquet of your favorite flowers.
2) Make a list of all the things you LOVE about YOU. Type it up and Frame it on your wall.
3) Invite your closest friends over for some comfort food and gift exchange and call it a Just Because Of Our Love Party.
4) Treat yourself and your family to a special outing and have each person share at least one thing they love about every one in the family.
5) Have each family member write down all the accolades and positive feedback  they shared about each other, and use the information to create individualized cards for each family member.

Take the time to tend to your own needs and then share the love in as many creative ways as possible. Make it a fun experience for all around you. If you are a boss, have your staff consider exchanging thoughtful, motivating messages to each other and hold a special lunch for the office. Anything that brings cheer to us and others is an act of love.

 

 

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you.” Roald Dahl

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine's Day

Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day


Raise Positive Vibrations | Healing Frequency 432hz

In a world full of temporary things you are a perpetual feeling. Sanober Khan
Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you? You really want somebody like that? Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door? You don’t, do you? And neither does he. You’re turning over your whole life to him. Your whole life, girl. And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him? He can’t value you more than you value yourself. Toni Morrison
Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation. Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi

Could you love somebody who was nobody without you?  It would create an unhealthy dependency. So it is always best to have a relationship with an equal not an unhealthy bind. If we keep the original premise of this holiday in mind, we are bound to make better and healthier choices of the heart.  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, 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. How are you nurturing yourself? Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤

 

Have a peaceful and productive week ahead!

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Positive Motivation Tip: Make each day of your life a Valentine’s gift to yourself and a random act of kindness to others

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, Valentine’s Day, Peace, via Pixabay,  AND/OR  via  Wikipedia…

 

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

from → Global Events, Love Life, Motivation Mondays, Musical Notes, Positive Advice, Posts & Photos 2018
165 Comments leave one →
  1. jmgoyder permalink
    12/02/2018 7:53 am

    What an absolutely wonderful person you are – this post has helped me so much and is such a fantastic resource as I travel through my grief. Thank you with all my heart x

    Reply
  2. Gladys S Parker (@momtograndma) permalink
    12/02/2018 9:24 am

    I am enjoying the music. The only one I have ever listened to was Enya. Her 12 tools – tips sound amazing, but so much effort. I’m sure it is worth it in the long term. I need to try a couple then add more.

    Reply
  3. Love, Life & the little one permalink
    12/02/2018 11:00 am

    Love this food for thought quite literally. Thank you for the quotes

    Reply
  4. Anna permalink
    12/02/2018 12:24 pm

    Such a great post and a reminder of the true meaning of Valentine’s! XO

    Reply
  5. Krissy permalink
    12/02/2018 1:57 pm

    Totally agree! You have to take care of yourself first and foremost before you can adequately take care of others.
    Krissy

    Reply
  6. Path of Presence (@pathofpresence) permalink
    12/02/2018 3:14 pm

    Appreciate this insightful and practical post to be the Love you are, to yourself! My fave of Louise Hay’s tips: don’t scare yourself. What great reminder to not let F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real) get you all jittery! Happy Valentine’s Day!!

    Reply
  7. Heather permalink
    12/02/2018 6:21 pm

    I’ve had to adapt over the years to my husband’s love language. He’s a gift giver. All I’ve wanted from him is his time, but definitely shows it by giving a gift, which prompts me to do the same because I think that’s how I reach him. I kinda hate it. All I need from him is to share some laughs, some memories and some I love yous and nothing more.

    Reply
  8. Vivian permalink
    12/02/2018 7:14 pm

    I definitely agree that you can only love others well if and when you love and care for yourself first. I find that this is sometimes overlooked, but how can you do the best for someone if you can’t be your own best~~

    ~

    Reply
  9. Newsira permalink
    12/02/2018 7:59 pm

    We love our partner from our heart and not mind. Thus, we don’t need to look at the calendar to show our love. It is sweet that there is a special day for the same. However, we must spend our life with them in a way everyday feels like Valentine’s day.

    Reply
  10. dgutkowski permalink
    12/02/2018 8:36 pm

    Beautiful post! I love self love. I practice it every day. Some days it’s really hard, but those are the days when I need it the most! Thanks for the inspiring post!

    Reply
  11. acraftymix permalink
    12/02/2018 8:46 pm

    Inspiring as always Elizabeth. I’m always a little torn about Valentine’s Day. It’s become so commercialized and we really should be loving our precious ones, including ourselves every single day. And then on the other hand it does kind of force us, with all the advertising and hype, to really think about what love means and all the different ways we can show it.

    Reply
  12. Erika permalink
    12/02/2018 9:20 pm

    I agree that it is important to remember to cherish the ones you love and practice self love on a regular basis but I do also love celebrating Valentine’s Day 🙂

    Reply
  13. wanderlustbykelley permalink
    12/02/2018 9:20 pm

    This was a very insightful and meaningful post. I loved reading it.

    Reply
  14. kylie cre8tone permalink
    12/02/2018 10:57 pm

    Happy valentine’s to you.. May everyone celebrate this day specially with their love ones..

    Reply
  15. emmanuel damian permalink
    13/02/2018 12:50 am

    I think a relaxing music would definitely give a romantic vibe. Also, I think if you put more effort to celebrating it, it will be better.

    Reply
  16. thetennisfoodie permalink
    13/02/2018 12:51 am

    I think a relaxing music would definitely give a romantic vibe. Also, I think if you put more effort to celebrating it, it will be better.

    Reply
  17. Drake Conan permalink
    13/02/2018 1:41 am

    I am so excited for Valentine’s day. This is one of the best days I’ve been waiting for. But I always make sure that I have to spend the day with my whole family.

    Reply
  18. Garrile Blog permalink
    13/02/2018 3:11 am

    you quoted one of my favourite authors! Paulo Coelho 🙂 And one of best quotes you could actually pick as well
    I feel like the whole valentine’s day thing became so far away from its original meaning… We don’t celebrate all that much valentine’s day here because we don’t feel like we need a day to celebrate our love, you know what mean?

    Reply
  19. drewandtrishstravelsandadventures permalink
    13/02/2018 3:35 am

    Stop all criticism and support yourself. I am adding these two to my daily mantra. Thank you for the inspiration

    Reply
  20. Emily Leary permalink
    13/02/2018 4:13 am

    I think being gentle, kind and patient with yourself brings out fantastic results in yourself – just like it would with any person you meet.

    Reply
  21. Autumn permalink
    13/02/2018 4:18 am

    I never knew the history of Valentine’s Day, thank you for sharing.

    I love James Baldwin and truly wish he were alive to tell us what he thinks of the world today.

    Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up. James Baldwin

    Thank you for the Monday motivation and wishing you a wonderful week as well.

    Reply
  22. Amna Tariq Shah permalink
    13/02/2018 4:49 am

    Love the post especially amidst all the Valentine’s Day talk going on these days. I think love is something that should be celebrated each and every day of life rather than a single day in a year. Love your philosophy!

    Reply
  23. Corina permalink
    13/02/2018 6:11 am

    Absolutely! I totally agree…I’m always thinking how everyone is so focus on love on February 14th and seem to forget that there are 364 more days in a year when you need to make your partner feel like they’re appreciated and loved!

    Reply
  24. Nancy permalink
    13/02/2018 6:47 am

    I agree that self-care is so important! My husband and i don’t make a big deal of Valentine’s Day…he’s traveling for work this week so we won’t even go out.

    Reply
  25. Sue Tanya Mchorgh permalink
    13/02/2018 7:21 am

    I love the angle you took on this post. You really asked an important question here… what motivates your most important relationships. I would love to say love…but when i think deeply about i could say fear too. Interest post. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  26. Ithfifi permalink
    13/02/2018 7:54 am

    I agree with you! Self care is important and how we care for others. I’ve known couples who go crazy with grand gestures on Valentines Day yet treat each other awful for a large remainder of the year. I’m single so it doesn’t really affect me but I believe its all the little things, each day of the year that show real love.

    Reply
  27. Rachel permalink
    13/02/2018 8:50 am

    These are some great tips for self-love. It is so good to be positive towards yourself!

    Reply
  28. Alicia Taylor permalink
    13/02/2018 9:12 am

    Happy Valentine’s Day 🙂 My hubby and I don’t really celebrate it. We aren’t big on most commercial holidays. I didn’t realize there was so much confusion about the holiday. I was always told it was about St. Valentine.

    Reply
  29. Indu Indra permalink
    13/02/2018 9:54 am

    This post is an inspiring read to me. Your motivation tip is truly dedicated to the spirit of Valentine, “Make each day of your life a Valentine’s gift to yourself and a random act of kindness to others” and I want to remain in this feel of Valentine beyond this celebrated day,

    Reply
  30. Cindy Gordon permalink
    13/02/2018 10:32 am

    Many people forget that taking care of yourself means you’re the best you can be in order to take care of others. If you don’t fully love yourself how are you going to fully love others?

    Reply
  31. laveremis permalink
    13/02/2018 11:08 am

    It’s refreshing to see this different take on Valentine’s Day and the history behind the holiday. So often we forget the reasons we do things in the first place. You are so right about self care being crucial in caring for others.

    Reply
  32. Kristine Nicole Alessandra permalink
    13/02/2018 11:36 am

    My husband and I may be considered odd, but we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s day. We believe that showing our love and appreciation should not be done on a particular day in a year. Simple loving gestures, little gifts, love notes, cooking a favorite meal is how we celebrate our love every day. I agree with loving oneself too. We cannot be capable of truly loving another person until we learn to love ourselves first.

    Reply
  33. Stephanie JNote permalink
    13/02/2018 1:29 pm

    Wow! At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. So real and so sentimental. I love how you put this together. Beautiful!

    Reply
  34. NicoleShillings permalink
    13/02/2018 1:32 pm

    It’s so important to take care of yourself! I always try to treat myself to something special on Valentine’s Day just to say, “hey I love you too!”

    Reply
  35. Joanna Davis permalink
    13/02/2018 2:21 pm

    love should be celebrated every day, not only on the 14th of February. Valentine’s Day is a nice concept but it’s been so commercialized that it bring single people sorrow and depression. Your post is so motivational and I agree with it fully! Love, friends, self-care, they should be celebrated every day!

    Reply
  36. Kesha permalink
    13/02/2018 2:53 pm

    I have been dealing with my health for the past two months. The main reason why I kept getting sick was because I was stressed out and exhausted. It is so important to practice self-care. I was sick and still trying to take care of everyone else and I wasn’t getting better. I was definitely not treating myself with care. I have definitely added self-care back to my life this Valentine’s Day.

    Reply
  37. Megan B permalink
    13/02/2018 3:00 pm

    Ah, what a beautiful motivational post! Thank you for this <3 The Roald Dahl quote is the sweetest, too!

    Reply
  38. Emily Terrell permalink
    13/02/2018 3:12 pm

    I’m not big on Valentine’s Day. Even though I am happily married, neither of us practice romantic notions. More often than not we just focus on the needs of our family – especially the kids. But I think others need to be reminded that there is more to this holiday than what money can buy.

    Reply
  39. Ronnie Epsi permalink
    13/02/2018 5:05 pm

    Using Valentine’s Day as a reminder to love oneself is a lovely thought. We often forget to take a moment to appreciate ourselves and I like the idea of being conscious of it for a day. It would do so much for self-esteem.

    Reply
  40. tanviidotcom permalink
    13/02/2018 6:17 pm

    I like your take on Valentine’s Day. I guess I choose stay away from anything too commercial. I celebrate whenever I feel like and try not to dictated by the “said” days 🙂

    Reply
  41. Ayana Christine Nell permalink
    13/02/2018 6:52 pm

    I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. I rarely get the Valentines day I hope for, but I like to try and make it fun for others. I totally get what you mean about making sure to love yourself and keep your tank full! As a mom, it’s easy to get wrapped up in taking care of my family and forget to look after myself properly!

    Reply
  42. Jen ~ The Tipsy Mama permalink
    13/02/2018 6:56 pm

    First, I LOVE Louise Hay! And I totally agree that a lot of times we are willing to go above and beyond for those we love, but a lot of times forget about self-love! This is a great reminder!

    Reply
  43. Cindy Ingalls permalink
    13/02/2018 7:07 pm

    I have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. While I think it’s great to have a day to celebrate love, I also find it a bit cheesy with all the roses, chocolate, and stuffed animals. I think love should be celebrated all year, whether it’s familial, friendship, self or romantic.

    Reply
  44. Betzy Cuellar permalink
    13/02/2018 7:25 pm

    I’m excited to be able to celebrate one more year.

    Reply
  45. Melanie Poulos Walsh permalink
    13/02/2018 7:28 pm

    I hadn’t considered how important it is to show yourself a little love on Valentine’s Day. The kids will be off at school, so I have some time to take time for myself. A few hours with a good book would be lovely.

    Reply
  46. itsnadianelson permalink
    13/02/2018 9:46 pm

    You provided some very good tips in this post. I especially loved the tips for self-care. More often than not, many people place themselves last and take care of others first. I especially did this with my young siblings. It was not until recently, that I started putting me first.

    Reply
  47. Samantha permalink
    13/02/2018 10:30 pm

    Self love is so important! It’s been something I’ve been working on the last few months. Ive been listening to Louise Hay a lot, especially her meditation on self love for 30 days. It’s a work in progress, but I’ve come a long way!

    Reply
  48. Afroza Khan permalink
    13/02/2018 11:18 pm

    I need to read this today. Thank you for sharing all the positivity and the wonderful videos. It’s helping me a little and I appreciate it so much.

    Reply
  49. thetennisfoodie permalink
    14/02/2018 12:08 am

    For me, Valentine’s Day means being in love and being romantic in your own little way. It’s the thought that counts.

    Reply
  50. Doreen permalink
    14/02/2018 12:38 am

    “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” Paulo Coelho Love this quote 🙂

    Reply
  51. Rosey permalink
    14/02/2018 2:40 am

    “Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.” What a good saying. You definitely can give your love to someone who doesn’t love themselves, but you have to know they aren’t going to be able to give it back properly, and interact accordingly.

    Reply
  52. wanderlustbykelley permalink
    14/02/2018 5:45 am

    I especially enjoyed the section on “taking the time to tend to your own needs”. This is so important for any healthy relationship

    Reply
  53. Nicola Quinn permalink
    14/02/2018 5:47 am

    I’m definitely going to take some time to nurture, love and celebrate myself as well as my boyfriend this Valentine’s Day. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  54. Ana De-Jesus permalink
    14/02/2018 5:49 am

    I just finished reading the “Do You Love Yourself? article that you linked above and you are right in saying that the 12 tools that she mentions for self love like the affirmations to help us accept ourselves are really quite powerful. She also speaks about grief on the website too which I found to be a very powerful note. In regards to Valentines Day however, I like how you spoke about taking the time to tend to your own needs!

    Reply
    • Eliz@MirthandMotivation permalink*
      02/04/2018 4:02 am

      Yes, it is easy to forget our needs… and then we get resentful… WoW!

      Reply
  55. Lisa (Travel Loving Family) permalink
    14/02/2018 6:06 am

    Love your ideas of gifting for valentines through presence, attention and shared memories 😉 Much better than a crappy card and box of chocolates

    Reply
  56. Alison Rost permalink
    14/02/2018 6:35 am

    I think this is beautifully said. A good reminder for all of us to love ourselves more and to keep doing things that would help nurture that self love. It’s important that we do, otherwise we won’t have enough love to give to others.

    Reply
  57. Angela permalink
    14/02/2018 7:17 am

    In my country this holiday is actually not really celebrated, I mean now it is, but it is a rather new tradition. I believe in love every day 🙂

    Reply
  58. Preet@thevelvetlife permalink
    14/02/2018 7:57 am

    What a beautiful feature on Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day! Self-care is as important as is love, it is not just one day but a lifelong process. I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day just once in a year, it is all about how you feel most of the days in the year, love is a lifelong celebration, stays in the heart for whole life.

    Reply
  59. Amy-Lynn Vautour permalink
    14/02/2018 7:59 am

    When my fiance and I first got together I was confused that his family tended to celebrate Valentines as a family thing. Gifts were exchanged and dinners were held and it was all a little strange to me at first. Then I realized that I loved it. Why should Valentines be only about romantic love? Why not love for our family, friends, pets, and – yes – ourselves!?

    Reply
  60. ronkeadeyemi permalink
    14/02/2018 8:55 am

    I think that there are all types of loves. Family love, friendship love and of course the love for your partner. I think it’s great the way we are now celebrating these types of loves on Valentine’s Day so it’s not so one dimensional.

    Reply
  61. eliza permalink
    14/02/2018 9:06 am

    a truly motivational and inspiring post. I hope to read more of your articles as I really learn a lot.

    Reply
  62. Via Bella permalink
    14/02/2018 9:20 am

    Love this post! I need to work on self love more and do the mirror work. I don’t think I have done that really before so I will try it! Thanks love!

    Reply
  63. Evelyn Lo Foreman permalink
    14/02/2018 1:10 pm

    I really Love the opening quote by Rumi. It helps us to see and go beyond simply circumstances and come together in the principle of Love. Xo Evelyn, PathofPresence 💝

    Reply
  64. Jessica Hughes permalink
    14/02/2018 3:05 pm

    While I do love Valentine’s Day, it is just one day of the year and love is just as important on all the other days of the year. I really enjoyed the music you provided in this post, it was a great touch. Louise Hay is wonderful and I have read many of her books.

    Reply
  65. Heather Jones permalink
    14/02/2018 4:49 pm

    Sometimes I feel unworthy, or unlovable. I am glad though that my husband loves me despite my feelings. I would hope he wouldn’t leave me because we weren’t equal in how we feel about ourselves. I do struggle with not loving myself the way I should. I feel a lot of unexplained guilt when I do show myself attention. I think that’s probably one of my least favorite quotes.

    Reply
  66. Kendra permalink
    14/02/2018 6:04 pm

    We often forget to take care of ourselves during Valentine’s Day. I believe that the only way we can truly love others is to start by loving ourselves.

    Reply
  67. Heather Barber McMechan permalink
    14/02/2018 8:15 pm

    I think so many of us forget that before you can love someone else, you must learn to love yourself. There’s nothing more valuable than self-love.

    Reply
  68. lucicoo permalink
    14/02/2018 10:50 pm

    I try to take care of myself by watching what I put in my body also exercise everyday to get my blood flowing.

    Reply
  69. Newcastle Family Life permalink
    15/02/2018 12:55 am

    I don’t really celebrate valentines as I am not a fan of it and prefer to show my partner I care throughout the year. I do need to learn to love myself more though x

    Reply
  70. kumamonjeng permalink
    15/02/2018 1:33 am

    I love the music, it really helps me to smooth my mind and I am really fully charges after listening to it. I hope to read such post a day to help me keep my mind in shape!

    Reply
  71. Nati permalink
    15/02/2018 2:31 am

    I have very much enjoyed reading your article Elizabeth! Not only I have learnt many new things from it (as usual) but also it left me thinking about my own life and how I love myself and people. I stopped for a second at your question “Could you love somebody who was nobody without you?” and my very first thought was “my children, when they were newborns! That kind of pure, devoted, unconditional love, I’ve never experienced anything similar, and yes, I know I couldn’t love anyone else in the same way. Love among adults shouldn’t be like that, that would be very unhealthy. But newborns depend on their parents (or similar figure) to actually survive, and it takes a lot of patience and courage which I think it is provided by love!

    Reply
    • Eliz@MirthandMotivation permalink*
      02/04/2018 4:01 am

      Yes, the point I was making is that we need to love ourselves in order to be fully present to love another person.

      Reply
  72. Shubhada Bhide permalink
    15/02/2018 4:36 am

    This is such awesome post. It’s really important that we love ourselves too. Happy Valentine’s day!

    Reply
  73. Esme Sy permalink
    15/02/2018 5:15 am

    My friends usually think about what to give, but not what to receive. While that may be a selfless and caring act, it does not do any good for them to be unfair to themselves. They all need to love themselves too.

    Reply
  74. nightwisprav3n permalink
    15/02/2018 5:28 am

    That was interesting learning the history behind Valentine’s Day. I didn’t know about the card making in the U.S. I think that loving ourselves should be a great way to celebrate the holiday. After celebrating with my kids at the arcade and dinner after, I took time for myself with candles, a book, some wine, and a bubble bath. It’s always a good idea to take care of oneself:)

    Reply
  75. morganmike55 permalink
    15/02/2018 5:41 am

    Great article! I love the binaural beats!

    Reply
  76. Cleverly Changing (@Cleverlychangin) permalink
    15/02/2018 6:23 am

    We aren’t big on holidays. We don’t really celebrate, but we do enjoy our time together and the love and positivity of the day. Self love is so important just as you mentioned and shouldn’t be overlooked.

    Reply
  77. Yes Missy permalink
    15/02/2018 7:15 am

    I think many people forget it’s so important to have self love too!! They get so busy doing things for other people they forget about themselves.

    Reply
  78. Natalia permalink
    15/02/2018 7:35 am

    It’s important to learn to love ourselves and I love your comments. Stop all criticism is the most vital for me as I kept criticising myself for a long time and it certainly didin’t have a good impact on me and my close ones’ lives. 🙂

    Reply
  79. Venus Fitness-Shannon permalink
    15/02/2018 7:44 am

    Hope you had a great Valentines! I like your suggestion to be kind to your mind.

    Reply
  80. Emily Fata permalink
    15/02/2018 8:06 am

    I think Valentine’s Day is important not just to show love to our significant others, but as you said, to ourselves, too. Not to mention the friends and family who are by our side through thick and thin, and who are deserving of a little extra love on this day, as well. 🙂

    Reply
  81. stellaannevans permalink
    15/02/2018 8:22 am

    I love this! It brought up a lot of interesting points.

    Reply
  82. Patricia G. permalink
    15/02/2018 10:07 am

    I agree that it is better if you loved yourself enough to love others. However, for me, it is better when I focus more on how to serve and be a value to others rather than just myself. When I do kind things for others, I automatically love myself more in the process. 🙂

    Reply
  83. Savannah Pham permalink
    15/02/2018 10:25 am

    Honestly, it’s a great feeling when you’re showered by gifts and flowers on Valentine’s day by others. Every day should be Valentine’s Day, there shouldn’t be a set day for others to show you how much they “love” you. I agree with you, it’s important to focus on loving yourself. If you can’t love yourself, how are you going to love others?

    Reply
  84. Lisa Rios permalink
    15/02/2018 11:36 am

    We should take Valentine’s Day as a chance to not only celebrate romantic love, but friendship and family.

    Reply
  85. AlwaysCarryOn.com permalink
    15/02/2018 1:11 pm

    Some lovely inspirational quotes and images here, as always 🙂 I always love reading your Monday Motivation posts x

    Reply
  86. Adaleta Avdic (@adaatude) permalink
    15/02/2018 2:41 pm

    Another great and inspirational post here. I loved learning a little more about the history behind the greeting cards for V-Day.

    Reply
  87. Crystal Gareau permalink
    15/02/2018 5:28 pm

    Every week, your photo collages just blow me away. You do some really great things.

    Reply
  88. Ana Ojha permalink
    15/02/2018 8:09 pm

    I so agree with you that loving oneself and self-care is so important! If we don’t love ourselves, we won’t be able to love and appreciate the beautiful world around us. I’ll try to follow all the tips of Louise Hay as they are so important for self-growth and happiness!

    Reply
  89. chewoutloud permalink
    15/02/2018 9:01 pm

    When my boys were younger, we used to read the history of St. Valentine and who he was and how this holiday came about. It is really neat to learn about the history of our celebrations. 🙂

    Reply
  90. Kristine Nicole Alessandra permalink
    16/02/2018 12:44 am

    I believe every day should be Valentine\s day. Love for each other is a solid foundation to build a family. It is also a good example we can show our kids.

    Reply
  91. Cleo permalink
    16/02/2018 1:00 am

    Really like the history, thought and knowledge that is actually behind Vday. Didnt know that at all until now.

    Reply
  92. Msddah permalink
    16/02/2018 3:18 am

    I can totally relate to this post. So many nuggets in this post. But I love the tips you provided regarding the daily motivation tips. You seem like someone that practices mindfulness! Love it!

    Reply
  93. Jenn Pereira permalink
    16/02/2018 5:23 am

    What motivates me about Valentines is that you appreciate everything mostly people who loves you. Not just people who surrounds you but seeing people celebrate it is an overwhelming to see but of course we should not forget that everyday is Valentines day and always appreciate everyone even just the little thing they do.

    Reply
  94. Amanda permalink
    16/02/2018 7:22 am

    Why is it so easy for us to love other people, but not ourselves. I think I am going to have to try and read that book by Louise Hay. Sounds like I could really use it. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  95. sophie permalink
    16/02/2018 9:27 am

    Thanks for this amazing post. Though I had no such V day. but I tried some of the things which you have mentioned here. but also got to know about many other things. Thanks for letting me know. Cheers.

    Reply
  96. jenny permalink
    16/02/2018 11:14 am

    Loving yourself and all of those around you should be an everyday thing and not just a yearly thing in my opinion. But, people go gaga over commercialized holidays and get upset if they don’t have a Valentine. I don’t understand it. lol

    Reply
  97. flora_the_sweaterist permalink
    16/02/2018 12:04 pm

    This Valentine’s Day overdrive has always bothered me. The way people who never give a damn about the feelings of others, go out and buy flowers and heart-shaped chocolate, because it is traditional to do so. I think that love doesn’t need to be materialised in that way. Love should be something ongoing, articulated and expressed by our actions and words, not only on one day of the year, but constantly.

    Reply
  98. swood97 permalink
    16/02/2018 4:42 pm

    I wasn’t familiar with the Hay poem “Do you love yourself” but it reminded me of a poem I learned in middle school by Edgar Guest entitled “Myself”. It begins, ‘I have to live with myself and so I want to be fit for myself to know…” That poem has stuck with my my entire life and in fact I have it on my About page on my blog. We nurtured ourselves on Valentine’s by avoiding the mainstream and enjoying a quiet evening at home. I hope you had a lovely Valentine’s too.

    Reply
  99. franckxethee permalink
    17/02/2018 7:08 am

    I believe that Love should go beyond just Valentine’s Day. It must be a part of our day to day lives.

    Reply
  100. Indrani permalink
    17/02/2018 8:18 am

    Wonderful message for V day! I liked the video and collage composition. So perfect for the occasion.

    Reply
  101. Lyosha Varezhkina (@lyoshathegirl) permalink
    17/02/2018 11:11 am

    for me Love is the most important of it all. I like Valentine’s as well, one more reason to stop and say I love you

    Reply
  102. Bhushavali permalink
    22/02/2018 1:43 pm

    Admist the commercialization of Valentine’s day, I always think of St.Valentine who laid down his life on every Feb 14th!!!

    Reply
  103. Razena | Tantalisemytastebuds.com permalink
    23/02/2018 2:04 pm

    I love this quote because it sums up everything I feel about love: “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” Paulo Coelho

    Reply
  104. Rose Mont permalink
    23/02/2018 5:26 pm

    I need to embrace love and let the fear go. Even well meaning gestures are always assumed to mean less then what they are. There is no room for second guessing and doubt.

    Reply
  105. Holly Lasha permalink
    28/02/2018 10:18 am

    Oh awesome ideas. Thanks so much for the motivation. I definitely need to internalize some of this.

    Reply
  106. thepeacheepear permalink
    16/02/2019 11:30 am

    Such food for thought. Loved this take on this popular holiday!

    Reply
  107. Amy permalink
    23/02/2021 11:57 am

    In this ultra modern, technology filled busy world we live in today, we definitely don’t take out enough time for self-care, mentally. Thanks for the reminder to do so and to make sure I look after me once in awhile!

    Reply
  108. Neely Moldovan permalink
    15/02/2022 12:25 pm

    I love that Maya Angelou quote!

    Reply
  109. Bity permalink
    15/02/2022 2:01 pm

    Thank you for this amazing blog post. I like more this Quote: “I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, ‘I love you.’ … There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.” Maya Angelou

    Reply
  110. themregang permalink
    15/02/2022 6:17 pm

    Self Love is definitely something that I have been trying to practice more of since the new year began. Great post!

    Reply
  111. Caroline permalink
    15/02/2022 6:45 pm

    Self love, very important yet sometimes forgotten. We should treat ourselves often for sure

    Reply
  112. Freya permalink
    15/02/2022 10:16 pm

    Such thought provoking words about the nature of love

    Reply
  113. Beth Pierce permalink
    16/02/2022 1:58 am

    It’s a other day of treat myself well. I love nurturing myself by doing the things I love.

    Reply
  114. Nyxinked permalink
    16/02/2022 2:44 am

    I love your message here! Valentines day is about loving yourself above everyone else. Yes it’s lovely to have a partner but isn’t it amazing when you can also say you love yourself.

    Reply
  115. Fransic verso permalink
    16/02/2022 7:09 am

    After years, finally I got to spend this day with my lovely girlfriend. It’s amazing to spend it with your loved one.

    Reply
  116. Rose Ann Sales permalink
    16/02/2022 1:49 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing such motivation to us! I really need this! I enjoy reading this post

    Reply
  117. Angela Ricardo Bethea permalink
    16/02/2022 3:19 pm

    What a wonderful post and all of them are beautifully written. Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.

    Reply
  118. Ntensibe Edgar permalink
    16/02/2022 10:05 pm

    You have asked a very important question….”how am I nurturing myself”? For now, I am taking things slower than I am used to and being kinder to myself.

    Reply
  119. Abida permalink
    16/02/2022 10:36 pm

    Having day to day basis motivations is so important for me since I am a lot dependent on them. The post was really helpful

    Reply
  120. AutumninAtlanta permalink
    17/02/2022 12:01 pm

    Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you and your family and an amazing day full of love, light, and reflection. Inspirational post as always – loved it!

    Reply
  121. Renee permalink
    17/02/2022 1:15 pm

    Yes! After valentines day love is still so important!

    Reply
  122. Ash B permalink
    17/02/2022 3:23 pm

    great great article! Its so important to always remember to love yourself all days of the year and that celebrating and feeling love should not start and stop only on February 14th.

    Reply

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