Who do you love? Think about it. If you made a list right now, it would probably be fairly long, and include family and friends. But are you on that list? You should be.
Wherever you are on your romantic journey, the person you need to love unconditionally is yourself. You can’t really do the job you want to do loving someone else if you don’t have love for you. So on Valentine’s Day, if you are not in a romantic relationship, you can still celebrate the beauty of love – for yourself, or anyone else.
Let’s make a list of unconventional ways you can spend V-Day, when your ideal match has not yet entered the picture.
- Money –how to repurpose your Valentine’s savings! Look at a solo Valentine’s Day as an incredible financial boon. If you are not buying gifts, expensive groceries or dinner out, a new Valentine’s outfit, or an over-priced box of Godiva chocolates, consider this an opportunity. Depending on what floats your boat, you can either chalk this up to a future credit card payment, or you can take the attitude that you just saved $300.00, so if you spend a third of that on yourself, you still come out ahead. Go get yourself that trinket you have been wanting, or that electronic gadget you long for, or a much-deserved massage.
- Go out –yes, without a date. You don’t need to stay at home just because you’re single. Gather up a few of your unattached friends of either or both genders and go out on the town. Get gussied up and find a lively pub or restaurant where you can strut your stuff and have a few laughs with like-minded singles.
- Stay in –“me time” is anything but pathetic. Just because you are single doesn’t mean you have to go out to save face. Do what makes you happy, full stop. Collect a stack of movies and get really creative with the comfort food. There’s nothing like a Jackie Chan or Meg Ryan marathon to give you a reason to stay up past your bedtime.
- Throw a party –wacky or sedate, it doesn’t matter! A quiet dinner party for a few Valentine’s Grinches, or a no-holds-barred dance-a-thon. Have fun making up zany rules: you have to wear red or pink (if you don’t you are given the Valentine’s Dunce Cap), or if you drink anything that isn’t red or pink you have to put $5.00 in the pot, and the first person to bring an eligible single friend to the party gets the contents of the pot… whatever; just have fun! Make a play list of all your fave songs and have a blast.
- Spread the love –you can never go wrong with that. Celebrate the holiday by reaching out to all the people you love in your life. Pick up the telephone or send cards. Make plans to get together. Focus on gratitude—for all that these people bring to your life, and also remember how much you enhance their lives, too.
Ultimately, Valentine’s Day is just another day, I suppose, but it is a day we are reminded that love matters. Forget Hallmark and the chocolate and jewelry industries trying to convince you it’s all about spending money. It’s not. It’s a chance to remind yourself how great love is and spend some time loving yourself, or the great people in your life.