Celebrating Love’s Infinite Spectrum
Valentine’s Day has been cherished in my heart since it intertwined with the joyous arrival of my second son. I still remember that bouquet of roses from my husband and my eldest. That small gesture and token of love warmed my heart, and I still feel it to this day. That Valentine’s gift, that memory, and the visual reminder help to bring up my vibrations when they feel low. We must hold on to these precious memories as a reminder that “love finds its way.” This mantra echoes through the halls of my home and professional practice.
Love: The Core of Our Conversations
In my world, love isn’t confined to a single day; it’s a perennial theme that weaves through every celebration and dialogue, from Valentine’s Day to Thanksgiving and beyond. Love in all its forms is something that we talk about in my home and office throughout the year. A considerable part of the work that I do stems from issues with love and building greater love. In my office, we talk about how to demonstrate love in a way that our people want to receive it.
Clients and I explore finding love and living our passion. We talk about how our love changes and trying to figure that out. My work, deeply rooted in the nuances of love, aims to foster deeper connections and understanding. Together with my clients, we embark on explorations of expressing love in meaningful ways, igniting passions, and navigating the evolving landscapes of our relationships. That process is continual. We are always evolving and renegotiating the parameters of our relationships.
The Work of Love: Navigating Hearts and Minds
Engaging in the “work of love” with my clients often means delving into the absence of love, grieving lost connections, and charting paths to healing. Sometimes, clients discuss missing out on love or mourning love and how to move forward to release that pain. We talk about grief as a manifestation of love and missing our loved ones. We perceive grief as love’s echo, and we miss that warmth. Frequently, we talk about our loves disappointing us and trying to heal from that hurt and pain.
I listen as we talk about protecting our hearts and still hoping to love freely. We explore the protective walls we erect around our hearts and the relentless hope to love without restraint. We talk about our identities as wives, daughters, sons and husbands, parents and lovers. All our roles circle back to the essence of love. That is the universal denominator; it all goes back to love.
Valentine’s Day and The Quest for Personal Love
A significant aspect of our journey involves guiding souls in search of their unique love stories. Amid talks of soulmates and twin flames, the emphasis remains on self-enhancement and worth, laying the groundwork for recognition by a kindred spirit. One of the toughest parts of heart work is helping people who are still looking for their own love. Often, I hear the terms soul mate or twin flame, and I think, maybe.
In the meantime, while that love is making its way to us, we must keep building our own worth and value for them to recognize us. One of the love strategies I encourage in my office is “values-based dating.” “Values-based dating,” a philosophy that champions personal development and authenticity as magnets for genuine connections.
Values-Based Dating: The Art of Being Whole
Living Love Authentically
Values-based dating transcends the conventional; it’s about cultivating our best selves and leading lives that resonate with our core values. Values-based work is a concept that encourages us to continuously develop ourselves and build ourselves to be the best people that we can be. Values-based dating also means working on our completion and wholeness rather than waiting for someone to complete us.
When we are living life fully and raising our vibration, our internal light shines so brightly that it draws others to us. We couple values-based dating with reciprocal energy, and we have the beginning of a functional relationship. This approach encourages a radiant inner light, attracting those who share our energy and aspirations. It’s about aligning our deeds with our beliefs, ensuring our lives reflect our true priorities, from family and work to social justice and personal passions.
Aligning Actions with Values
Therapy often reveals a disparity between professed values and lived realities. A critical examination of how we allocate our time, energy, and resources can unveil our true values. So much of our work in our office surrounds listening critically to people’s values and ensuring that their values align with their actions. You may think you value family, but your calendar may say you spend most of your time with your friends or at work. You may feel that you value social justice, but your media consumption and points of contact may have a slight bias. Show me your resources, and I will show you your values.
Values are what you think, but they are also what you do. Your values show who you are. When looking for a partner to share our world, we must be honest about our values and the worth we bring to a relationship. In the quest for companionship, authenticity in our values and contributions to a relationship is paramount.
Embracing Our Inner Soul Mate
As a therapist, I witness the profound effects of love—and the lack thereof—on our well-being. Recognizing the power within to harmonize our hearts, minds, and actions unveils our greatest potential. I can see how much love and the heart (and mind) affect us in ways we may not even see. I also know how much power we have when we begin to pay attention to our hearts and minds. So, on this St. Valentine’s Day, let’s look for our soul mate inside ourselves after doing our work. Let us embark on the most rewarding journey of self-discovery and self-love, finding our soul mate within and radiating love in its purest form.
Cultivate Love, Cultivate Life: This Valentine’s Day and every day, let’s commit to nurturing love in all its forms—within ourselves, in our relationships, and through our actions. By embracing values-based living and dating, we open our hearts to the boundless possibilities of love, transforming our lives and those around us with its luminous glow.
The Holistic Store
While we are thinking that through, boost your connection from the inside out with our wellness supplements and supplies. Check out our store for products that help you feel your best, making it easier to open up and connect on a deeper level.
