Try A Little Kindness Today – Be A Symbolic Valentine To Everyone

Today, of course, is Valentine’s Day, which is thought by many cynical people to be nothing more than a manufactured holiday; a clever conspiracy by the Card, Candy, Chocolate, Teddy Bear, and Miscellaneous Gift Industries to get US to part with more of our money. And frankly, the part of me that harbors a healthy portion of cynicism, that part has to agree, to a certain extent.

But the larger portion of this phenomenon called me; that part thinks Valentine’s Day is a special opportunity to express your love, kindness, thoughtfulness and humanity to that special someone (or someone’s) in your life; but also to express that love, kindness, thoughtfulness and humanity to everyone you meet today, on the street, at the supermarket, on the job, at the post office, on the subway, train, plane, or in your car.

Think about how much it “costs” to be kind or thoughtful to a complete stranger today. Express your love and humanity to others and feel what that “feels like” today. How much kindness, love, thoughtfulness, and humanity do you have to “spend” today? The American Economy surely has problems, but each of us has the infinite capacity and resources to spend or give away the currency of kindness, love, thoughtfulness and humanity we possess. It takes courage, mindfulness and putting others before oneself – but it costs nothing. And the “interest” you earn on the “currency” or “capital” of your love, kindness, thoughtfulness, and humanity will return dividends beyond your imaginings; many you may not experience directly, but like a “virus” that spreads and infects others.