Saturday this week is Valentines Day!
Rather than get caught up in the commercialism of this day, can I invite you to see it differently?
It seems to me that Valentines Day is about big better. The more I spend, the more it says I love you.
Well, that is what the marketing and advertising people would tell us.
Vouchers or coupons are a fun way to show your love to someone without spending any money. Five ideas for them are:
- I am yours for thirty minutes to do whatever you want to do.
- I will sit with you and watch whatever you want to watch on tv – without protest.
- I will do the washing up for the next five days.
- I will wash your car.
- I will give you all of my Saturday or Sunday.
In some ways these things are not that special, but from the couples I see, they would rarely put themselves on hold to do whatever their partner wanted without complaint.
If you are looking at your phone when your partner is talking to you – that sends the message I am not interested in what you are saying and whatever is on my phone is more enjoyable than listening to you.
What message would you send if you gave your partner these five vouchers and carried them out when they wanted to use the voucher?
The message you would be sending is I love you and I am prepared to give up my time and space to make you feel special.
In healthy relationships, each person is focused on what is good for the other person.
In relationships that are not working, one or both people are only focused on what is good for them not the other person.
Use these five ideas to strengthen your relationship or as the first step to make things better.
