With Valentine’s Day coming up on Thursday, I thought I’d add a little levity to this week’s blog.
However, in an effort to help you do what you do better, I’m going to tie this to a couple of the 7 F’s of True Success—namely Family (that includes Friends) and Fun. As you do something nice for your special someone, realize that you’re incorporating these important parts of our proven model into your life. By doing so, you’ll enrich your own life as well as the lives of others.
Share the Spirit
Now, let’s think a little bigger. I encourage you to consider all the special people in your life—family and friends, of course, but also others who make your life easier or better or brighter. Do something or say something to let these folks know you appreciate them.
Every day is a good day to be kind to others, but Valentine’s Day might be just the catalyst you need to jumpstart this practice.
It is, after all, a very popular celebration, and it has a long, storied history.
The oldest known valentine, as we know it, was written in 1415 by Charles, the Duke of Orleans, to his wife when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. (It’s now part of the manuscript collection at the British Library.)
In the 1840s, a woman named Esther Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in the United States. Today, an estimated one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. It’s the second-most popular day for cards in the U.S. (after Christmas, of course).
I share all this to put you in the good, optimistic mood to share some of yourself with others.
Now Is the Time
These days, our communities and our country are so divided over so many things. Common courtesy is not so common anymore. Step up with a kind word, a helping hand, a genuine smile, a compliment or a message of support, and spread some additional joy on Valentine’s Day.
So Happy Valentine’s Day! Be sweet to your family and friends and have fun with it. Then look outside this close circle, and be kind to someone else. That’s how you do what you do better.