Helloooo Gorgeous!

I wanna be real with you for a sec. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a total Love Super Hero on Valentine's day. 

I started making grand plans weeks ago. I was going to make Valentine's cards for you to print and color. I had the most Loving-est social media post planned (in my head). I was scheming some public performance art for the big day. On and on.

The reality was, there was a lot of work to do in my world (unrelated to Valentine's), but I kept feeling the pressure mount.

"I have to do something".  I have to spread love in the world. Big love! HUGE love!

I got myself so worked up. For weeks I was thinking about all the things I wanted to do.  

Overdoing The Goals?

I mean last year my man and I got dressed up in St. Louis, Missouri and handed out calendars all over town.   That felt like spreading love in a HUGE way. 

I wanted to top that.

See, my mission and my core desire is to create a more loving world. That's what gets me up in the morning.

SO when it's love day (aka Valentine's), I feel like it's my time to show up and make it happen.

I even put my graphics designer into a frenzy trying (at the last minute) to make that printable Valentine for you to color and share.

Don't Should On Yourself

We made it happen, but it was stressful because I was coming from "I should do this", "I have to do this". 

I was should-ing myself all over. 

As you probably figured out, I didn't end up doing much. 

Well, that's not true. I spent the weekend with my sweetheart. We ate well and just enjoyed each other. It was relaxing and restful once I let go of the shoulds! 

We Can't Give From An Empty Well

This is a message to you, dear heart. We have to find the sweet spot between our goal to be a shining light for others and our truth of how much energy, time and mojo we really have. 

If our own well isn't at least a little bit full, what can we truly offer?

Also, who makes up the story of what we should do and what's expected of us? 

You guessed it. We do! 

We are free to change that story at anytime. 

The Story Can Be Different and Still OK

Did Valentine's day happen without a HUGE infusion of love from me to the world? Um, yeah, of course it did.

Was your Facebook feed still full of hearts and love notes? Yep.

Nothing really was lost on you because I wasn't doing backflips in a red leotard across your Instagram, right?

It was my story and I let it go (after kicking and screaming just a little). I lit candles instead. I said a prayer for more love in the world. I put my hand on my heart and told myself 'I love you'. 

I practiced what I preach instead of preaching. 

And I started making plans for next year!! HA! 

What Is Really True for You?

If there's something you are SHOULD-ing about, take a good look at it and ask yourself what is really true for you. 

Do you have the energy? Do you have the burning desire to make it happen? If the answer is NO, find a way to let it go. Be gentle with yourself in the process and believe me, you will feel so much better about everything.

Do what you do from a place of authentic love and watch the miracles unfold.

Written by the creator of:

Life is Beautiful and So Are YOU! - 2016 Calendar
by Sarah Love.

Click here for more info or to order this calendar.

About the Author

Sarah Love McCoy is the visionary artist behind the I Stand For Love movement and the creator of the "Life Is Beautiful and So Are YOU!" calendar. Art and magic intertwine in all of her creations. Besides firing up the Love Revolution, her most favorite things to do are finger paint, hike through lush landscapes, sip jasmine tea and ponder the mystery of it all. Say hello to Sarah (and find out how to become a Love Warrior) at www.istandforlove.