There is a lot of hype (and hope)
focused around
Valentine's Day-- the day of love and
just like
almost everyone else we're on it.
We're committed
to having and creating a great
Valentine's day
celebration for the two of us.
Whether you are in an intimate
relationship and
with the love of your life or not,
there can be a lot
of expectations that never pan out or
there can
be a feeling of closeness and love with
the people
in your life.
Whatever your current relationship
status, we
suggest something a little different
for this
Valentine's Day.
We suggest that you go beyond your edge
and here's what we mean...
We all have our "groove" that just
feels
comfortable, no matter what we are
doing. This is especially true in the love and romance
department but is in all phases of our lives.
Our "edge" is the very point where a
little
mystery begins--something out of the
ordinary
that we may not normally do.
When we go to this "edge" and beyond,
we can feel expanded, more alive, have more passion for life
and feel more love.
Here's a great example of what we
mean...
One of the Valentine's Day gift
suggestions
we've seen in media ads is giving a
massage
from a local spa. While this might be a
gift that
is much-appreciated, what may be even
more
appreciated and going beyond your edge
is
actually giving each other a loving
massage
and sharing touch.
Felicia and Al lead busy lives. They
both work
full-time jobs and they have 3
beautiful young
children whom they adore. Felicia
coaches
little league and Al prides himself on
a stellar
garden and yard.
When they do slow down and share touch,
it is
usually for lovemaking. One weekend,
however,
Al arranged for a babysitter and
surprised Felicia
by taking her to a couple's massage
workshop
where they learned how to give each
other foot
and back rubs. They've promised each
other
massages at least once a week as an
additional
way to connect.
Do you have to take a class to learn
this?
Of course not (but it may be a fun
get-away).
The two of you can just plop on the
couch, focus
your attention on each other (no
television but
music would be great), and get your
fingers
moving in a loving way that may or may
not
be headed toward love-making.
If touch always leads to love-making,
try
something a little different. Just
touch your
partner with the intention to connect
with
each other.
Touching each other often may be going
beyond your edge. It might be a caress of the shoulders as
you walk by him or her doing the dishes. It might be that
you hold hands when out shopping together or at a movie.
If you are currently not in an intimate
relationship,
touch is just as important--so give
someone you
are close to a hug or even trade
shoulder or
foot massage.
We invite you to come up with your own
list
of what it might mean to go beyond your
edge. Here are some other suggestions
to
get you started...
1. Try a new restaurant or new foods.
If you always go to the same type of
restaurant,
try sampling different kinds of
foods--or even a
different dessert. Go with a friend or
your lover
and share the new experience.
Susie and a friend tried Korean food
for the
first time a few months ago and had a
wonderful time sharing a new taste
experience.
2. Wear something a little different
than you
might normally wear.
It might be a little beyond your edge
to wear
a piece of clothing of a different
color than you
normally wear or a different style.
We're not saying you have to visit
Victoria
Secret but we are saying to play with
expanding who your clothes say you are.
3. Explore ways to expand and deepen
love-
making and intimacy.
Allow yourself to explore books and
other resources that teach new ways to be intimate with your
love. There are many available that are tasteful and that
can give you some good ideas about going just a little
beyond your edge.
It might be something as simple as
kissing more
deeply instead of your normal peck on
the lips. You
might even dedicate an hour to just
kissing--and
keep it interesting!
Be sure to talk with your partner about
what you'd
like when it comes to this exploration
and listen to
what he or she likes.
4. Open up to someone who you normally
might
not be.
Talk to your partner, a friend, a
family member or
someone else in your life in a way that
you may
not normally do.
You might share something personal
about
yourself that you normally don't share
or you
might show someone how much you
appreciate
him or her being in your life.
If this isn't "normal" for you, sharing
about yourself and showing appreciation can be powerful ways
to go beyond your edge to create deeper connections with
others.
This week, we invite you to go beyond
your edge,
create deeper relationships with others
and spread
a little more love in the world.