Plenty urges us to be our own Valentine today and every day, which helps us become more loving to those around us. Photo: Claudio Carrozzo.

PARK CITY, Utah – The real season of love doesn’t just start on February 14; it’s a season that goes on and on – all year long. That’s if we choose to receive, be, and bring it.

To love is not always easy, especially during these tumultuous times; to love someone who sees things differently, to love someone who doesn’t agree with you, to love someone who may have hurt you, to love someone who is angry, or to love someone who doesn’t “get it” (whatever “getting it” means). Harder than that at times is the practice of loving ourselves – even on our down days when we wake up in a low mood, when we wish we would have said something different, or when we grow impatient and frustrated with how things appear to be working out.

As human beings, we sometimes make life harder than it needs to be. Love is always an option. Love is always available. Love is always a choice.

So how do we practice loving others always? The answer lies in loving ourselves.

You’ve heard us share the adage “you can’t give what you don’t have,” and it’s never been more true when we apply that concept to love. Learning to love ourselves no matter how we feel is the grandest invitation to growth. Practicing self-love when we feel like shit is the way.

It’s easy to turn to tactics and habits that may make us feel temporarily better about loving our whole selves when there are parts we want to change. Tactics and practices do work (sometimes 😉). But the tactics are not the tool. You are! The greatest tool you have is the tool you have inside: your heart ❤️.

Our heart’s capacity to receive and give love is limitless. Not only does it have the ability to hold feelings of love for your spouse, partner, children, family, and friends, it has the capacity to love neighbors, strangers, enemies, opposing political parties, disbelievers, and anyone in opposition to you. When we come from love, we create an unconditional space for others to be themselves in the moment, wherever they are and however they are. The same goes for ourselves. Each one of us has a choice every day to either open or close our hearts to the path of love, and there’s no better year than 2022, the year of the heart.

This season (however long you desire it to be), we encourage you to practice loving yourself as you desire to love another.

How could you speak to yourself with the kindness and care you offer your best friend?
How could you soften your expectations and permit yourself to be a bit messy?
How could you deepen your love for your body and honor what it’s asking you for?

Only you have the answers—experiment with what works for you. Listen deeply. Your heart is calling you to unconditional love.

On this Valentine’s Day, we hope you can give yourself the love you deserve. We’ve created a guided meditation to help you slow down, look within, and remember that all the love you want and need is right inside of you. We’d love to hear what that looks like to you – email us what you are doing to be your own Valentine.