Valentine’s Day is no longer just a holiday to shower your love and affection on one particular sweetheart, it now has become a Season of Love that has evolved to include all the special people in our lives.
Gone are the days of this Holiday being exclusively for those lucky enough to be smitten with love, in a committed relationship, or those starry-eyed love birds swooning after a special someone. Today Valentine’s Day is still celebrated with Cupid in mind, but it has grown into an all-inclusive modern-day lovefest that includes Galentine’s Day celebrations with our BFF’s, special thoughtful gifts given to our children, family members, co-workers, and kindness bestowed on any other person we just want to show a little love to.
So, what are the different ways you can spread a little goodness and love not only to your sweetie but to everyone that crosses your rose-petaled path this February? Here are just a few heartfelt ideas for you to try out.
1| Send or Give Flowers
Who doesn’t like to receive a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, especially on Valentine’s Day? However, Valentine’s flowers don’t just have to be given to or by your sweetheart, but they can also be given as a sweet surprise to someone you care about (like your mother, sister, or BFF) as a way to express your heartfelt appreciation of them.
Be sure to pick the right color rose to let them know exactly how you feel about them.
White: Somber, associated with spirituality
Yellow: Friendship and Cheer
Pink: Grace and Elegance
Blue: Mystery and Intrigue (perfect for a secret admirer)
Rainbow Colored: Fun, artsy, playful friendships
Peach: Associated with gratitude and thanks
Salmon: Pinker than orange and darker than peach color are associated with a budding relationship (platonic or romantic — your choice)
Cream: Thoughtfulness
Red: Romance and Love
2| Pass Out “Love” Notes
Similar to the traditional “Valentine’s Day” cards that we gave out way back in school, why not pass out little encouraging uplifting messages to unsuspecting friends and strangers. Get as creative as you want to be and leave simple notes that say, “You’re awesome”, “Smile”, “You are important”, “You’ve got this”, etc. You may never know just how much an encouraging word/note can brighten up someone’s day.
3| Put a Love Note or Sweet Treat in Your Sweetheart’s Lunch
Surprise your someone special (S.O., child, etc.) by placing a love note or special treat (candy, special dessert) in their lunch bag. Unexpected little notes and treats are a way to remind someone how much you care about them.
4| Give A Compliment To Someone
Giving a genuine compliment to another person costs nothing, but the lasting effects can be priceless. Letting someone know that you think they are something special or that they did a great job, or are wearing a fabulous pair of shoes (we just had to put that one in), shows that you are paying attention to them. Paying attention to someone helps to give them a sense of being valued, and being valued equates to neighborly/brotherly love.
5| Be Kind To, or Help a Random Stranger
Love takes many different forms, but the love extended to a stranger is the highest form of neighborly love. It’s easy to be kind to those we know and care about, but there are so many other people that could use kindness in their life. Always be polite and say thank you. If you see someone that is struggling, offer to help, hold open a door, let someone cut in front of you in line or anything else you see that might help another person out. Random acts of kindness have a way of multiplying the goodness and love in this world.
6| Send an Annonymous Valentine
If you’re single (by choice or otherwise) and want to let someone who is also single (no home-wrecking here please) know that you think they are special but are on the timid side, why not send a little anonymous note saying so. Just be careful not to be creepy or stalkerish and to keep it fun and flirty.
7| Donate To Your Favorite Charity
Why not show a little love to your favorite cause by giving a charity, church, school, or other meaningful organization the gift of your time or treasures.
8| Forgive Someone Who Has Wronged You
There is no greater way to show grace and love to someone that you feel may not deserve it, then to forgive them. It may not be easy, but the gift of forgiveness can change a person’s life or mend a bruised relationship.
9| Hug Someone
There are times that we need to be reminded that someone out there loves us and a hug is a wonderful way to be reminded that we are loved. Giving someone a hug is like giving them the gift of compassion. A hug is also a welcoming gesture that tells someone they are loved enough to be invited into someone else’s world.
10| Be Polite
Love can be seen in the way we interact with people during our daily lives and being polite is one of the best ways to show it. Always use your “nice” words, even when you’re frustrated or angry. Your words can make the difference between spreading love or creating more chaos. Thank you, you’re welcome, excuse me, please, and any other courtesy word shows that you value (and love) your fellow humankind.
11| Unplug and Focus
In a world where we are tethered to our electronic devices and are often glued to our screens at all hours of the day, focusing on the person we are with and being present in the moment has become a difficult task. Extending love to another person often means paying attention and focusing on them. There is nothing more annoying (and quite rude) to constantly be ignored when your friend/companion is distracted by texts, posts, and non-emergency calls while in your presence. Make it a conscious decision to put your phone down and focus on the time you are spending with someone. Giving your full attention is giving them the love of connection.
12| Do Something Your Loved One Wants To Do
Sacrificing your wants, likes, and interests and allowing yourself to experience what someone else wants to do is another way to show someone that you love them. The next time you are faced with the decision to pick an activity that each of you wants to do, allow them to make the decision. Be it a particular movie, a restaurant, a day spent at the beach, partaking in a special hobby, letting them decide. Spending time doing what your loved one is interested in allows you to experience their joy — which is the best gift love can give. Love is sometimes about putting another’s needs ahead of yours (even if it means doing something that may not be fun for you — unless it is something that you can not physically do or goes against your internal morals).
13| Say “I Love You”
Actions do speak louder than words, but every once in a while it is important to actually hear the words I love you. You would be surprised to know that there are many people that never hear those powerful words and it creates a vacuum of void leaving them feeling unloved and alone. Always make it a point to tell someone — your spouse, partner, companion, family member, BFF, best bro — that you love them. Those three little words spoken may seem like a simple gesture, but they hold so much positive energy for the person hearing them.
14| Love Yourself
Selfcare is necessary for your wellbeing. Forgive yourself for things that have happened in your past, release negative and toxic feelings and behaviors, take steps to nurture your body, mind, and soul. When you learn to love yourself, you will be in a better position to love the world.
What ways do you plan to spread a little love during this Valentine’s Day season? Drop us a comment below and as always, please show us a little love and “Like”, “Share”, “Tweet”, “Pin”, or “Link” this article for your friends and family to read.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Some great ideas! I used to be someone who thought valentines day was reserved only for couples, but now I think it’s such a lovely way to just spread love in general <3 |Meera-Abroad