Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Some of you are excited by that statement. Others, not so much.
Valentine’s Day is one of those “Holidays” that people have pretty strong reactions to. The most common reactions that I hear are:
- It’s a Hallmark holiday
- It’s a great reminder to celebrate the people we love
- It’s a great reminder that we don’t have someone special in our lives
- It’s just another day of the week, what’s the difference?
Where do you fall?
When I was growing up I used to get a box of chocolate covered cherries from my mom on Valentine’s Day. I love the idea that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about a romantic love, but can just be about celebrating those that we love in our lives in any capacity — those that we are connected to.
There are those of us who want to avoid Valentine’s Day like the plague. There are those of us who see Valentine’s Day as nothing but an unpleasant reminder of feelings of sadness or loneliness. But I’d like to shift our thinking.
Why?
Because loneliness is an epidemic.
In The Connector’s Advantage I talk about some of the effects of social isolation. Specifically that it can KILL you!
A research study of over 3.4 million participants found social isolation and loneliness to have a greater impact on mortality than obesity. If that isn’t bad enough… lacking social connections carries a risk similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
Basically, the results showed people with greater social connections were associated with a 50% lower risk of early death in contrast to people who were lonely.
Talk about the value of connections! Loneliness will actually kill you faster.
Maybe this Valentine’s Day isn’t about finding the love of your life. Maybe it’s about having all types of connections in your life. All of the work I do is about connections and trust me, all connections are worth celebrating.
This Valentine’s Day, and every day, pick any excuse to connect and reconnect. Let’s kiss loneliness goodbye!
