February is a month where romantic love is highly emphasized, as Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In theory, this is a wonderful holiday to celebrate and cherish the loved ones in our lives. In reality, this holiday has turned more into highlighting what we have, and for some of us, what we don’t have. It has become more materialistic, and less about the action and emotion of love. For those of us who aren’t in romantic relationships, February and Valentine’s Day can feel excluding and saddening. Fear not though! This week we are going to discuss why real love isn’t just for romantic relationships, and how to give and receive love in all aspects of your life.

We talk a lot about love here at Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life: loving yourself, loving others, and embodying the concept of love in all that we do. Love isn’t just about who you are in a relationship with in this very moment, it’s about cultivating compassion and loving kindness towards everyone, regardless of external factors. If we can truly learn to love unconditionally, we will become magnets for love. The relationships that we crave will organically start to manifest in our lives.

What are some ways to be open and receptive to love? How can you be your own vehicle to give and receive love? Check out these tips below to be your most loving and loved self yet.

1. Break your blocks to love. Many of us are stuck in a mindset that blocks us from seeing all the love around us. We can think that our “ideal” partner doesn’t exist or that we’ll never find that supportive social circle we are looking for. Recognize and release this way of thinking. Be open to all the possibilities.
2. Create space for love in your life. If you’re holding on to relationships that don’t lift you up or inspire you to love even more, you might be closing yourself off to the possibilities of love. It’s so important to create the space for all of the great things you desire to come into your life.
3. As always, love yourself, unconditionally, first. It’s so common to hear the advice to “love yourself before you can love others,” but it really is so true. Take some time to be over the top in love with yourself. Let go of judgments and expectations and be grateful and appreciative for all that you are. You are whole by just being you; you don’t need someone else to complete you.
4. See the other person as you. After attending a lecture by Gabrielle Bernstein, I learned about the Five Sutras of the Aquarian age. The first one, Recognize that the Other Person is You, really resonated with me, and helped me shift my perspective of people. Try incorporating this thought into your life, and notice how much more compassionate, patient, and understanding you are with your loved ones or complete strangers.

How do you embody love on an everyday basis? What are the blocks that keep you from loving, and what can you let go of to let love into your life? Let us know!

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