So how can you deal with a holiday like this and actually enjoy yourself, whether you are in a “relationship” or not?
How can you make your Valentines day celebration romantic if you’re with a partner?
Here is part 2 of the suggestions to make your relationships better–no matter what day it is…
(These suggestions may not appear to be romantic ideas but we guarantee that if you do them with authenticity, the romance in your relationship will heat up.)
7 ) Don’t Forget Kindness and Thoughtfulness
We all get in a rush sometimes and forget to be kind. We just want to get the things done that we have to get done and move along to the next thing to be done. Whether you are currently in an intimate relationship or not–take a moment to be kind to the people in your life. Kindness certainly doesn’t have to mean “doing” for someone (but it can.) It can mean just giving a smile, sending a kind, loving thought, or simply listening to a story that you may have heard many times before.
8 ) Don’t Forget Appreciation
So often we find ourselves dwelling on what irritates us about the people in our lives and we forget to appreciate the things about our relationships that are working. Appreciation only works when you want nothing in return. If there are “strings” along with your appreciation of another person, (like you want appreciation in return) it will seem like an empty, needy gesture.
Appreciation has to be expressed from your heart and in such a way that is genuine.
9 ) Listen Closely to What Your Partner Wants
Whether it’s to make plans for a Valentine’s day celebration or just listening to how your partner’s day went–leave your ego and your desire to help or “fix it” for him or her at the door and just listen. We all get into habits that stifle communication–that shut off a true connection of the heart.
To open up and bring more joy and ease into your relationship, take a moment to realize what you do to assume, to fix or to judge (even though you may not think you are doing those things) and just listen to understand your partner.
10 ) Listen Closely to What You Want
Listening closely to what you want can be even harder than learning to listen to your partner. So many people have learned along the way that it’s not safe to feel emotions–and they simply don’t know how to listen to what they want. You have to practice listening to the voice inside you so that you can be honest and authentic with the people in your life. You have to learn who you are and honor that by letting others know who the real “you” is.
11 ) If It’s an Intimate Relationship, Don’t Forget Time Alone
In our busy lives, we often forget to recharge by spending some time alone. Whether it’s taking a walk outside by yourself and enjoying nature or it’s taking 20 minutes to meditate or tune in and calm your thoughts–we’ve found that we are much better people and treat each other more lovingly if we take time for ourselves.
12 ) Don’t Forget to Breathe
It may seem kind of silly to remind you to not forget to breathe, but so many of us actually live in the land of anxious, shallow breathing. Belly breathing can relax you, help you to clear your mind and keep you in the present moment. What’s that got to do with creating great relationships?
When we are relaxed, we listen better to others and we don’t react quite so quickly from old patterns. We are able to access a fresh point of view when we breathe that can promote more understand and closer connections.
We hope that these 12 tips on what not to forget will be helpful to you in creating the relationships, love and romance that you truly want. At any time during the year, we invite you to make conscious decisions about your life and not just let “life” happen to you.