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February 2006
“Happiness is an inside job.”
“You are not happy with someone else, if you are
not happy with yourself.”
“You can’t love someone else if you don’t
love yourself first.”
All of these are cliché’s that sound trite but
are so true. Most of us spend our lives expecting others to bring love and happiness
to us, when in fact we are capable of finding it ourselves.
This February, I would like to challenge you all to plan your
Valentines Day to be a day of self love. Nurture yourself and incorporate that
love into loving others: partners or strangers.
Here’s how:
Start your day in a special way
*Add vanilla and cinnamon to your coffee grounds before brewing and set the
timer so the aroma wakes you up in a wonderful mood.
*Dress in red silk lingerie/boxers under anything you decide
to wear. Don’t forget a red hat. Men - try a new cologne.
*Go out for breakfast with a friend - have someone wait on you
for a change.
*Bring a small gift to someone at work or a neighbor. Leave
it on their desk or at their door but don’t sign it - and watch that person
try to figure out where it came from.
*Have eggos or pancakes that you used to have when you were
a child, even if you’re on a diet.
Your lunch break
*For lunch, take a brisk walk outside or around your building, say hello and
happy Valentines Day to everyone you see. Eat a salad and drink a tall bottle
of water.
*Starting after lunch, eat one piece of chocolate (liquor filled
if you can get away with it) when the clock strikes on the hour, every hour
till 5 PM.
*At 3 PM stand by your desk and do some stretches or jumping
jacks to get the blood flowing, or take a brisk walk in the forest preserve.
Listen to your favorite CD (with headphones or low volume) between 4 and 5 PM,
to put yourself in a great mood for the end of your day.
*If you are at home, make chocolate chip cookies and eat some
of the dough.
After work
*Buy yourself arm loads of flowers on the way home and decorate your home/apartment
with them - in every room.
*Meet another friend or couple for happy hour or go out to dinner.
Go to a brand new bar/restaurant that you have never been to before.
*Join up with more singles for dinner, dancing or karaoke.
*Go buy that book you’ve always wanted to read. Make a
bowl of popcorn and settle in under a down comforter and start reading.
*Call someone you haven’t talked to in a long time: an
old high school friend or someone you have meant to call for a long time but
haven’t bothered.
*For Women: End your evening in a luxuriously scented bath,
slather oil all over your skin, pin your hair up and sleep in a vintage slip.
*For Men: Luxuriate in a hot bath or shower with scented body
scrub, moisturize all over and sleep in silk boxers.
Commit to at least one act of Random Kindness: this will make
you feel GREAT!
*Send someone else flowers or candy anonymously; either a crush,
someone you know who is also alone, or someone who is going through tough times.
*For strangers you see during the day: pay a toll, buy a cup
of coffee, give them a treat, write an encouraging note and give it to them.
*Buy a dozen roses and hand them out one at a time to various
NEW people you meet through the day.
*Do a special act of kindness for a street person: give them
a dollar, a macdonalds hamburger or a fantastic smile
*Invite another single or couple to Happy Hour - you pick up
the tab!
Whatever you do, have a great time!
Cheryl
Cheryl Perlitz is the author of the inspirational
book "Soaring Through Setbacks - Rise above adversity - Reclaim
your life" and “Soaring through Setbacks….Survival
Tips Handbook’ As a dynamic speaker and facilitator, her inspiring,
fun and motivational stories help listeners and readers to "TRANSFORM
THEIR MOUNTAINS INTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVENTURE AND POSITIVE CHANGE."
Cheryl is not a therapist, or medical doctor. She
does not have a PHD or an advanced degree in psychological theory.
She is a regular person, like most of us. She is a sought after
talk show guest because of her easy casual style, her ability to
tell wonderful stories that the listeners and readers can relate
to, and her understanding and compassion for others.
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