How do you show your love? Chocolates? Precious stones? If you feel the need to buy a gift to express your love to your loved one, then you are thinking about it all wrong. Your love shouldn’t be contingent on materialism and special dates to flourish. Being materialistic is a farce or unnecessary meaningless societal pressure. We need to think deeper behind the meaning of our gifting habits. What if there are others in our lives apart from our partner who also need to receive love? When would we have the opportunity to express appreciation to them? 

Love can be in all shapes and forms; it doesn’t have to be all about romantic gestures. It can just be pure kindness in the way of unconditional love, a simple kind gesture in the form of a selfless act. 

Why don’t we use this Valentine’s day to break free from a meaningless shopping spree into a meaningful act of kindness? On this Valentine’s, we can choose to expand and enrich the love around us. 

This year, we could express love to those who kept loving us unconditionally (in a time of need) or simply anyone around us who requires a kind gesture. It could be a care-taker or an elderly person that is “forgotten” and probably hasn’t received a gift in 20 years. How amazing would it be if you could break that chain and end that loneliness with a kind and thoughtful gesture? 

It’s in your heart to decide who you wish to express your love and choose to uplift. Think who needs an act of kindness in their lives. 

I’m not suggesting being over-consumed with gestures of materialism and expensive gifts. The most magnificent presents are usually the most thoughtful ones, not the most expensive ones. Don’t get me wrong; I love gifting, and I give gifts often. However, I try to put thought into it, to provide meaningful gifts in a way that will bring joy and spark a light in the receiver’s eyes. 

Gifting is an art, and we should treat it with a high sense of awareness. Not in a superficial way but in a deep and meaningful way. It is thinking consciously what the other person needs, wants, craving. What’s his/her interest? It’s not always clear what a person wants or craves, mainly because the materialistic objects are the most obvious and easy answers; therefore, you need to look deeper. 

Before purchasing, you should consider; Is this a gift that will add value or bring joy to this person’s life? Giving should be from a deep place within your own heart and soul to make it a genuine act to strengthen your bond. 

Here are some ideas:

•  A book about a topic that could empower or elevate a person’s well-being.  
• A spa voucher, if you know, they work hard and need some self-care. 
• A healing session, there are so many healing modalities out there; you can find one that would feel right — sound healing, reiki, chakra clearing, etc. 
• Healthy food assortments or snacks. (Preferably organic)
• If you are good at baking, cooking, and crafts, Think of something you can make or create that they would appreciate. 
•  Flowers or a plant are always heart-openers and a high vibrational gift. 
• Donation to a good cause, write the name of the gift-receiver. (From tree planting, water, or education to rural or impoverished areas; there are a lot to choose from.)

Pick experiences over possessions. If you are the one who is expecting to receive a present, you can simply gift yourself. Those around you or loved ones don’t need a gift to remind you how awesome and valuable you are. You can buy yourself anything you want, the real goodies you want. This way, you won’t have ‘things’ you think you need and end up recycling a week later. 

Being consciously aware and genuinely caring for what the other person needs and craves is the key to succeeding in making a sincere gesture that creates a spark in someone’s eyes. Let’s connect to our intuition so that we can choose to gift from the heart consciously and mindfully.