The power of sharing a loving thought.

Say it out loud!

This past Saturday night, my ski house posse sat down to our second "family dinner" (homemade Mexican fiesta night one, Italian feast night two, because we fancy like that!) when the conversation suddenly turned into "let's go around the table and say what we really like about each other". Now before you laugh (too late?) or roll your eyes at our insane cheesiness (we know!) bear with me. For some reason, it seems that people who love one another often assume that the qualities they love are known or understood, and maybe in many instances they are... but there is nothing like hearing out loud, the qualities you possess that make your loved ones love you. You may hear confirmation that you are perceived the way you've always hoped to be, or you might learn that your impact on others runs deeper and stronger or is valued more powerfully than you could ever have imagined. You might even learn you're loved in ways you never even realized! Plus, sharing your favorite qualities about a person, with the actual person, is like giving a giant, personalized hug (and everyone loves a good hug!)

Though receiving compliments in such a straightforward fashion may feel awkward in a "we're trained to try to be modest so this is a little embarrassing" sort of way, receiving a barrage of positive reinforcement confirms the love you feel in a tangible and incredibly special way. So next time you're with loved ones (Valentine's Day is just around the corner!), don't just tell them you love them... remember to tell them why. Because that admiration is what makes your love run deep and sharing it out loud will only make the love feel stronger.