Valentine's Day: What's Love Really Got to Do with it?
by Marty Varnadoe Dow, LCSW

In a world filled with stress and meaningless activities, do we need another holiday of all fluff and no stuff? I don't think so.

Instead of mindlessly sending out cards or buying gifts, why don't you use this Valentine's Day as an opportunity to broaden your understanding of love and its power. If it is true that "what the world needs now is love, sweet love," why not put this dynamic power back into our most popular day of love.

People all over the world are learning that love is not just an emotion or a sentiment. Love is the most powerful force in the world. If you know how to use it, you can send it to heal and transform even the most difficult situations.

I am willing to make such bold statements about the power of love because I have seen it work for so many people. I don't blame you for thinking that this sounds too simplistic. That is exactly what I thought when I first learned how to use the spiritual force of love in my life. However, I have seen love work over and over again in my life and the lives of people with whom I have shared this great secret. The following story is a wonderful example of how love can heal and restore relationships.

Several years ago I shared the power of love with some of my co-workers. As usual I suggested that they experiment with the technique for two weeks.

One day, after a staff meeting, Tom pulled me aside. He was so excited about the amazing results of his test he could hardly tell me the story.

Apparently, Tom choose to work on an important friendship that had gone bad. He was sadden by the fact that he had not spoken to his old friend for over ten years. As is often the case, the conflict that seemed so important at the time, now felt silly.

Ten years is a long time to waste, but Tom did not know how to reconnect. After hearing my claims about the power of love to positively transform any relationship, Tom decided that his broken friendship was the perfect test.

He followed the instructions every day for two weeks. During that time he did not try to contact his friend, but to his utter surprise, on the fourteenth day of the test, he received a warm unsolicited letter from his friend. He did not know how such a simple exercise could be so powerful, but he vowed to apply the technique to other areas of his life.

Why not use this Valentine's Day as a day devoted to healing and restoring the relationships in your life? The process is simple. Just follow the below instructions. Do the exercise twice a day for two weeks. Expect to see positive results. You will not be disappointed!

1. Choose a relationship you would like to see improved.

2. Sit with your eyes closed.

3. Take a moment to relax.

4. Let yourself think about the relationship you would like to transform now.

5. Picture the person involved in this relationship in your mind's eye. It does not matter if you can see an image. A thought is as powerful as an image.

6. Imagine them surrounded with light and love (you might see this as a pink blanket of light surrounding them, caressing them with love).

7. See the two of you interacting with one another in a way you would like.

8. Imagine both of you saying or doing something positive.

9. See the two of you smiling at one another.

10. Feel a positive emotion like joy as you watch this image.

11. Imagine yourself telling your best friend about how well this experiment worked.

12. See yourself joyfully celebrating the transformation of this relationship/situation.

13. Feel joy.

14. Let the image go.

15. Repeat every day for two weeks.

If, throughout your day, you find yourself mentally rehearsing the conflict, remind yourself that love works and see the relationship in a positive way. Valentine's Day is a great opportunity for us to broaden our understanding of love and its power. We have missed the deeper meaning of Valentine's Day by singling out romantic love as the focus of this holiday's ultimate meaning.

There is so much more to tell you about the power of love and how to use it. Visit http://lovecandoanything.com  to learn more about how love can transform your life and relationships.  The information is free!