Two/Fourteen. Three Sixty-Five

It seems almost impossible to go through the month of February without red- and rose-colored lenses on, believe me, I know. Over the years, Valentine’s Day has become synonymous with the entire month of February, DESPITE the fact that it’s Black History Month. From the day after New Year’s Day and the entire first half of February, commercial after commercial, ad after ad, attempts to convince us to spend half our savings on chocolates, flowers, and other gifts so that we can show others how much we care about them. Maybe it’s my resentment for capitalist-driven consumerism, or maybe just my resentment for being too broke to buy myself what I really want, but I decided that this year would be different.

How many times have we felt pressured to buy a Valentine’s Day gift for someone, even if we weren’t in a relationship and had no significant other? The whole idea behind Valentine’s Day is that you are supposed to buy gifts for everyone you love, which would explain why the card section at Hallmark seems to have a card for everyone from “husband” to “neighbor’s dog who wakes you up at 5am every day with their barking”. But I have another question for you. When was the last time you decided to do something nice for yourself on Valentine’s Day? Or better yet, when did you decide that you needed to be told when you could love yourself and how to show love to yourself?

Whether you have a significant other or not, you should not and do not need a reason to love yourself on Valentine’s Day or any of the other 364 days of the year. The harsh reality is the only thing stopping you from loving yourself… is you. Don’t make excuses as to why you can’t love yourself, and stop making loving who you are conditional. Resist the temptation of deciding to love yourself only after your skin clears up, or once you drop that 30 pounds; instead, do it now. You do not need permission or a special occasion to remind yourself that you are worthy of all of the love you have been trying to give to everyone else. Wake up every day and remind yourself that you are smart, beautiful, confident and capable, so that every day becomes a holiday filled with positivity, love, and admiration. When you do that, every day becomes Valentine’s Day.