By Anna Meany–
Valentine’s Day is a holiday that’s inescapable of accusations of materialism and idealized views of love. February 14th drawing near? Bring on the depressing Facebook statuses. Aisles of boxed chocolates, red roses and cheesy cards fill stores and grocery baskets. Can’t we just blame the media for making us hate ourselves once every year?
Women, haven’t we realized we can make it without constant male attention? How can I say this without sounding like a self-help book? The most important love of your life is yourself.
Shay Dawkins presents three ways that improve your personal and love life.
Be thankful for everything – including your mistakes. It takes strong will to come out of the seemingly worst situations thinking ‘Someone has it worse than me’. Appreciating staples in your life, like friends and family, should override the need for a romantic relationship. Ever tried not sweating the small stuff? Regret is often too difficult to get rid of. We all spend too much time paying attention to jerks in the hopes of forming a relationship with Mr. Right. Getting caught in the routine of daily life can blind us from realizing our mistakes. Lack of prioritizing and focus can throw your academic career way off-track. But taking the time to acknowledge your mistakes can decrease the stress on your life.
Forgive others so that you can forgive yourself. Accepting other’s flaws could be the greatest virtue I know of. For instance, roommates often struggle to live peacefully with each other. From experience, I’ve learned to forget arguments as early as the next morning. You will never understand certain logic, and agreeing to disagree (although sounding childish) is the simplest and quickest solution to solving internal and external conflicts.
Find enjoyment and satisfaction in every day. This should be easy. Finding passion for every aspect of your life – class, lunch, television – not only increases your physical health, but can make you more popular. Don’t think cheerleader; people want to be around happy people! You should replace pessimism with a modified form of narcissism. If you don’t think you’re awesome, who will?
While Dawkins claims that romantic love will follow these steps, I can’t guarantee that. People spend half their lives in relationships that end in failure and infidelity. You’re stuck with yourself; make the best out
