FEBRUARY
For some singles Valentine’s Day reeks of everything despicable from gloating co-workers showing off their flowers, engagement rings and romantic weekend plans to the realization of yet another year without a sweetheart of their own. Despite the deluge of romantic paraphernalia, you can change from a hater to a lover of Valentine’s Day even without a special someone.
Don’t blame cupid and the silly red hearts, but your state of mind that is creating any upset within you around this time of year. You may not be able to find true love by Valentine’s Day to feel better, but here are a few ways you can make a simple shift in your thinking to lift your spirits and even welcome the day with open arms.
1. Celebrate Love – Even if you don’t have your true love in your life yet, you can still celebrate that love is possible. If you didn’t see other happy couples, you would really find it hard to have faith that an amazing love is out there for you. Smile and say “thank you” in your mind to all those gloating happy couples for helping you believe in love. Know there is always an abundance of love and you also deserve a piece of the pie.
2. Buy a Valentine’s card – Go to the sweethearts section of your local greeting card store and pick out your favorite “you are the one for me” card. Imagine that your true love is sending this to you and how you will feel when you get a special note like that. Just reading the cards may well up some tears but the emotions come from your heart saying, “I deserve this!” Put this card next your bed and open it on the 14th. You can keep it on your nightstand and read it every day until “the one” arrives.
3. Buy Flowers – Have you ever given yourself flowers? Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to spoil yourself with love. If flowers aren’t your thing, go to the mall and buy your own Valentine’s Gift. I used to buy myself flowers all the time when I was single. My co-workers would always ask, “Who gave you the flowers?” I would reply, “Someone who loves me very much….me!” They always said it was a great idea. If you are a guy, pick something that you would want your special lady to get you for Valentine’s Day.
4. Dinner with Friends – Get a group of single friends together for a special meal. Either go out to a fancy place and get dressed up or have someone host a dinner party. Celebrate all the wonderful things you love about each other. Everyone can bring a sweetheart gift to exchange. You will discover how much love you already have in your life. Invite men and women who are positive and not going to make it a whining festival.
5. Be your own priority – Set the date as a “me” day. Take yourself to your favorite restaurant for lunch or indulge a little in something that you would only do on a special occasion. If you focus on treating yourself well, you will discover how much power you have in making yourself happy instead of waiting for someone else to come along to do the job.
How you look at Valentine’s Day will affect what you attract in relationships. Your subconscious mind will draw you to things that make you happy. If you surround each February 14th with pain, your inner mind will literally repel you from anything to do with love. If you celebrate love even when you are single, your subconscious learns that love is good and pleasurable and will intuitively draw you to the right situations to attract love to you right away.
Remember that how you experience the day is your choice. No one is telling you to feel bad or to feel left out of the “love club” but your own mind. You can change your thoughts around the holiday so that you can have fun with it. The more you open your heart to love you make it more attractive to you

Some women don’t need flowers,
candy, or candlelight dinners
on Valentine’s Day.
Please be advised that
I am not one of them :)

JANUARY
This is my birthday month. And, between my birthday and the hurried holidays past, the new year upon us, I’ve been fairly reflective the last few weeks.

In the past year, I’ve met many great new friends, held onto a few dear old ones and had many a memorable family moments. I’ve also had some setbacks and have had to say goodbye to a few people I loved. But, through everything, I’ve had more happy days than sad the last year, which I sincerely wish to be the case for anyone reading this. Though for many, I am confident it is not.

I look around and see people challenged in many different aspects of their lives. Some are unhappy in work. Some don’t even have work. Others are unhappy in love. And still others are unhappy in life, generally. Many people face challenges that I as well struggle with. We’re sitting in the middle of the worst economy any of us will ever see (we hope). Lots of people are struggling to pay their bills or are worrying about what happens if they get sick. Some aren’t sure how they’re going to pay for their kids’ college or their retirement, not to mention the housing market. Others face very real medical situations for themselves or their family. These are huge problems and ones that I have given up looking for any easy answers to. And I certainly don’t want to get into the politics of it or the blame game or pretend i don’t hear the 99% (which I assure you I am a part of).

At the same time, I’m excited whenever I do talk with a business owner or a kid fresh out of college who looks at the world and sees opportunity. Many speak of their plans with such enthusiasm and passion and drive, that they breathe life into everyone who hears what they’ve got to say. You can’t help but get caught up in their excitement for what they want to do or where they want to go. Sure, some won’t succeed, at least not at first.

More than a few will likely adjust their plans or their goals along the way once they learn a bit more about the people and world in a more realistic way. But many will succeed in the long run. And not because they had a better idea or a better job.

No. What will help them reach their dreams is that enthusiasm, that passion, that drive. We all get knocked down from time to time. The most successful people I know often have suffered serious setbacks or losses somewhere along the way. That’s not cliché. That’s reality. It’s the enthusiasm, the passion and the drive that helps them deal with those setbacks, that helps them overcome the challenges, that helps them get back on the horse when they fall off.

They say smiling makes you happy,not the other way around. And I believe that your passion makes you successful, not the other way around. I so believe you should do what you love and I am convinced it isn’t crazy to chase a dream.

So, today, don’t wish me a happy birthday. I’m already there. Instead, my birthday wish is that you find whatever it is that engages your energy and prods your passion, so long as you never hurt anyone with intent along your way. Each year goes a little faster than the one before it, so don’t waste your time worrying too much about what could go wrong or did go wrong. Some bad stuff will happen no matter what you do. That’s life. Just make the most of your time and do what it takes to make yourself “and the people you love” happy in the moment.

Give yourself completely to any moment.

Appreciate it.

Reflect on it.

Happy Birthday.