With a name like Cheri Valentine, I am often told how can I be doing any thing other than helping people find love. Although initially people associate finding love with finding a partner, to me love is so much more. Love is the air we breathe, the essence of our being. Love has the power to heal, to forgive, to succeed, and to connect differences into seeing the unity. Love begins within. To me love is synonymous with joy. Love IS a joyful heart, a joyful mind, a joyful body, and a joyful soul.

Here’s the thing that so many of has missed – We don’t have to FIND love. We ARE Love. LOVE IS always here, if you allow yourself to see it and feel it. Unfortunately we have learned to value our worthiness to be loved through the experiences we’ve had, the words that we’ve heard, and we base our own love on the misguided judgments of others outside of ourselves. Many of us have been taught that love hurts, and is judgmental. We’ve had an epidemic of unhealthy love from our churches, teachers, leaders, and parents. This was not intentional. People always do the best they can with who they are and what they have they have learned. I don’t offer this in criticism, but in understanding and acceptance that We have learned about the love, and that is great news. We are capable of learning, of thinking, of creating anything that we desire. We are intelligent beings.

So, it is not so much about finding love, as it is about uncovering the love that is already there. The beautiful, brilliant expressive LOVE that is your birthright is calling to you to accept your value, your worth, and your joy! It takes time, energy, and intention, and it is worth every bit of it. Your whole life will change when you truly tap into your own source of love. Shift the relationship with you first, and watch all your relationships improve, with your children, your parents, your partners, and your siblings your friends, your co-workers. Everything begins with you and it is healed with love.

This Valentine’s Day I invite you to reconnect with love in all its forms. Yes if you are a happy couple, it’s a great chance to celebrate your love for each other, your relationship and your life. However, do this from your heart and a genuine desire to say thank you to each other for the gifts and expressions of love you practice daily.

It is also a time to express love and gratitude to all that touch your life and an especially great time to reach out to people who are lonely or single. If you are not with a partner, share the love for another single friend, or you children or single parent with the intention of expressing love and gratitude and reaching out to another, not with defeat of being alone, but with joy at knowing love in your life.

Our attitude and intention with which we do things makes all the difference in the results we see in our life.

I’d like to suggest some books that you might enjoy giving as a gift to someone special for Valentine’s Day, or giving to yourself as a gift. Any of the books listed on the page are beautiful expressions of love and a wonderful alternative to a card. A new favorite of mine, which is not listed on that page, is "The Mastery of Love" by Don Miguel Ruiz.

"Laugh Your Way To A Better Marriage" DVD set by Mark Gungor not only expresses your love, it does so with laughter!

Other ideas for gifts:

Create a video expressing your love with pictures and your own words.

Make a CD with songs that express how you feel or their favorite songs.

Plan a night of luxury for someone – cook them dinner, draw a bath, light candles, play music

Visit people in a nursing home who have no family.

Donate your time at a local charity.

Remember whatever you do, let in be in the spirit of love and giving – even if it to yourself!

Growing Joyful Hearts, Minds, Bodies, & Souls on your transformational journey through love – not for the faint of heart.