Valentine’s Day is here, and while I love a good excuse to eat fancy chocolate and romanticize life, let’s be real—love isn’t just about overpriced bouquets and candlelit dinners. And it’s definitely not reserved for one day a year. Love is the quiet, everyday moments, the small acts of kindness, the way we show up for ourselves and for others, even when nobody’s watching.

So, let’s talk about love—the real kind. The kind that stretches beyond romance and greeting card holidays. The kind that lingers in the way you speak to yourself, the way you lift up your people, and the way you put good out into the world, not because you have to, but because it just feels right.

Loving Yourself (For Real, Not Just in a Bubble Bath Way)

We hear a lot about self-love, but it’s often sold to us as a face mask and a quiet night in (which, don’t get me wrong, I fully support). But real self-love? That’s the hard stuff. It’s setting boundaries, speaking kindly to yourself, and forgiving yourself when you mess up. It’s treating yourself with the same compassion you so easily give to others. It’s knowing you are worthy, just as you are, even on the days you feel like a mess.

Self-love isn’t about being perfect (ugh, that word). It’s about accepting the evolving, imperfect, growing human that you are and treating yourself with grace along the way.

Loving Others (Because We’re All Just Doing Our Best)

Love isn’t just for soulmates and Hallmark movies. It’s for your best friend who always answers your chaotic texts. It’s for your kids who just want to be seen and heard. It’s for your neighbor who could probably use a smile. Love is checking in, showing up, and making the people around you feel like they matter—because they do.

And let’s be honest, sometimes loving others is hard. People are complicated, and life gets messy. But choosing kindness, patience, and understanding (even when it’s not easy) is what makes love so powerful.

Radiating Love Into the World (Even When It’s Not a Holiday)

Imagine if we treated every day like Valentine’s Day—not with the pressure of grand gestures, but with the intention of spreading love in small, meaningful ways. A kind word. A little extra patience. A reminder to someone that they matter.

The love you put out into the world has a way of coming back to you. Maybe not immediately, maybe not in the way you expect, but love has a ripple effect. And even if no one notices, even if it’s just you knowing that you chose kindness today—that’s enough.

So yes, eat the fancy chocolate. Buy yourself the flowers. Celebrate love in all its forms. But more than anything, let’s make love an everyday thing. Because the world needs more of it—and you deserve it, too.

Happy Valentine’s Day, and every day after that. 💛