I think Valentine’s Day gets a bad rap. My husband calls it a “Hallmark Holiday” but I still love Valentine’s Day because I’m all about the love. This may stem from the fact that I’m solidly a Type 2 in the Enneagram. I’m “The Helper” and based on my personality type, my primary motivation in life is to love and be loved.
If you don’t know about the Enneagram yet, definitely check it out. You will learn a TON about yourself and a lot about your loved ones too. My favorite Enneagram book is “Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery” by Riso and Hudson.
But even if I wasn’t a Type 2, I still think I’d enjoy Valentine’s Day because it’s the perfect excuse to share love and appreciation with everyone! Sure, I spread the love on other days too, but this is a holiday completely dedicated to love. What could be better?
So, whether you like the holiday or not, let’s all take the time to share our love and appreciation with the special people in our lives. Oh, and let’s not forget to also RECEIVE love and appreciation this week as well. Sharing love is a two way street and if we can’t receive as well as giving, then we’re stopping the flow of love.
What might it look like to give and receive some extra love this week? Well, it could take many different forms. If we use The Five Love Languages as a guide, we realize that we can give and receive love in all sorts of ways!
Here are the Five Love Languages (by Gary Chapman):
1) Gifts
2) Acts of Service
3) Physical Touch
4) Quality Time
5) Words of Affirmation
And here’s a survey you can fill out online to see what your primary love language is.
There are countless ways to show someone you care.
So, here are 50 ways to show your loved ones how much you adore them off the top of my head and in no particular order:
1) A hug
2) A kiss
3) Snuggles
4) Say “I love you”
5) Read to them
6) Give loving eye contact
7) Fix something broken
8) Run an errand
9) Make a homemade card
10) Find a beautiful rock, shell, or feather to give
11) Go for a walk
12) Have a picnic together
13) Act our your love in pantomime
14) Share something you appreciate about them
15) Scrape off an icy windshield
16) Cook their favorite dinner
17) Send flowers
18) Call them
19) Skype them
20) Text them (FB message, IM, Email, etc.)
21) Write a note
22) Send a letter
23) Dance
24) Sing a song of love
25) Let them choose the activity
26) Brag about them to someone else
27) Make a collage for them
28) Hold hands
29) Give a massage
30) Wash their feet
31) Wink
32) Draw them a picture
33) Make them a basket
34) Crochet or knit a scarf
35) Tell them how they’ve changed your life for the better
36) Blow bubbles
37) Give cash
38) Wash their car
39) Make a “welcome home” banner
40) Record a video
41) Brush their hair
42) Bake a special cake
43) Leave a gift on their doorstep
44) Tell a room full of people how you feel about them
45) Propose marriage
46) Clap extra loud after their performance
47) Introduce them to someone else you love
48) Say, “I adore you.”
49) Tell them about one of your favorite memories with them
50) Ask a question and pay attention to the answer
So, that should get you started, now you can choose something, anything, and do it TODAY to share your heart with the people you love.
And, I would love to continue this list. What would you add to it? Please leave a comment and let’s keep love alive!
Have a “lovely” week 😉
Hugs, Shelly