The Valentine’s Day Challenge: Spreading Kindness

February 11, 2018 / 46 Comments

Today, I am joining my good blogging friend, Suzanne Smith, of Crazy Blonde Life in posing a challenge to you all…but first let me give you some background on how this all came about…yesterday.

*This is not a sponsored post.  All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Suzanne shared a link to her recent blog post Celebrate Valentine’s Day and Every Day in the Forever Fierce Facebook Group. This post was about loving and celebrating yourself every day not just on Valentine’s Day. You should go read Suzanne’s brilliant message in her own words! Her photos are stunningly beautiful and the message of self-love is even more so. Suzanne is the one of the most thoughtful, caring, genuine, and authentic women who shares messages of empowerment and inspiration in every post she writes.  But this particular post is the one that triggered a series of events leading to this collaboration.  First, the Facebook post received this response from Michelle Fimon, a member of the group…

“Your photos are always so beautiful! What a wonderful way to celebrate ourselves. Do you know what would be so lovely…if every one of us could take this same message to a woman struggling with depression or illness or poverty and share that love and encouragement with them! After my mastectomy and going into financial hardship, I hated myself. It’s taken me years to begin to come back out of that place. You have inspired me to take it even further and spread the Valentine’s love with someone who’d never think of themselves…croissants and berries and a bouquet. What a divine surprise for someone in need! xoxo Stay beautiful, Suzanne Smith. I look forward to your blog posts….they make me smile and remind me to pamper myself.”

This type of spreading love and kindness is right up my alley, so of course I unhesitatingly jumped heart first directly into the conversation, stating this…

“Michelle’s comment has so inspired me that I am going to send some surprise Valentines with loving and empowering messages to women whom I know who could use some uplifting! So thank you both for the inspiration!”

Then Suzanne jumped right on board with where I was heading and proposed this challenge…

“Why don’t we make this a challenge! Let’s all send Valentines to three people who could use some uplifting! Kindness can be contagious!”

And a blogger collaboration was born!

So while we all have been inundating the blogosphere with Valentine’s Day outfit ideas in various shades of pinks, purples, reds, and whites, Suzanne and I are taking a different approach with this collaboration…we challenge all of you who have found your way to a place of self-love, to reach out and share some of that power with three women you know who could use a little uplifting on this most romantic of holidays. Because sometimes, it is not about how much other people love us, but rather it is about how much we love ourselves. Self-love is the most empowering and fruitful feeling in the world. And once you find yourself there, you can conquer just about anything!

How can you meet this challenge?

1. Find three women you know who need a little nudge toward discovering self-love. Sometimes all it takes to recognize your own worth is for someone else to tell you that you are worthy.

2. Send these three women a Valentine’s message filled with girlfriend love and empowerment. It can be as simple as a card, a phone call, or a Facebook message. You can send flowers, chocolates, or pastries. You can even be as elaborate as treating your three girlfriends to a Galentine’s date night…no men allowed…with food and drink and even a movie or a concert! Be as creative as you’d like. The challenge is merely to spread the message that self-love is of the utmost importance and that we are all capable of finding it!

3. Share the challenge with as many people as you can and let the love and kindness flow freely around the world. There is no better day than today to fall in love with yourself!

Please visit Suzanne’s post as well for inspiration and more ideas on meeting the Valentine’s Day Challenge! And a huge thank you to Michelle Fimon for inspiring this act of kindness! 

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
-Buddha

Sending you love from the edge,

Shelbee

Other resources to inspire you on your journey to self-love.

The New Romantics by Gigi of Fiercely Fat

How a Professional Photo Shoot Changed My Life and Why You Should Book One, Too! by Celia of Relisientista

Learning to Love Myself by Leah of The Sweetest Way

What Your Man Really Wants for Valentine’s Day by Nina of Sharing a Journey

If you have any other inspiring posts about self-love, please share them in the comments or send them my way and I will add the links right here!

Outfit Details
Faux Fur Vest: Charlotte Russe. No longer available, but similar here.
Paisley Tunic/Dress: Target (Old). Similar bell sleeve tops and dresses here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Purple Bell Sleeve Cardigan: Target. No longer available.
Purple Shawl Collar Coat: Target (Old). Similar here.
White Jeans: Kohl’s (Old). Similar here.
Boots: Solara Stretch Heeled Boots from Shoe Dazzle.
Mittens: Homemade Haven.
Necklace: DSW (No longer available).
Clutch: Old. Similar here.

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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