BY CHARULATA
CEO, Razorfish India
Thanks to Archies and the many e-card and e-gifting stores, young hearts have found a new heightened desire – to be loved and loved more and to be told and demonstrated the emotions for a false sense of belonging. Life’s strifes intensify the need to seek desperate solace in recognition and appreciation to narcissist extents where the loss of it leads to, on the one hand, violent reactions of anger, jealousy and the more destructive vengeance; and on the other, absence of overt love delves on the dark side of depression, self-pity and loneliness.
Failures in love affairs, as per a 2013 report by WHO, are amongst the top 10 reasons for suicides in our country. The steady rise in numbers of love or its failure-related suicides and murders seem to dominate
headlines. Being attractive and desirable for someone has shrouded our sense of the first true love. Love for ourselves. We seem to oscillate and lose ourselves between the need to be loved and the instinct to sacrifice and be useful to the world around us.
Come Valentine’s Day and the eyes seek that first message on Whatsapp, the ears wait for the three magical words from the beloved, the heart yearns for the special person to appear with flowers in hand. The barrage of ads on diamonds being a woman’s best friend don’t spare you the humiliation either – insulting the woman as a materialistic lover and the man as one who understands only materialistic love.
Does this sound like what your February 14 was like? When the movie Frozen anti-climaxed on true love being that of sisters while myopic viewers predictably expected the queen to find the prince to kiss, it pinched you to face the truth. Love is about the purity of feelings and not about where it comes from or who it is directed to. And it is rightly said that the world will only embrace you if you love yourself.
Maybe, it’s time to try an affair with yourself and start today as February 14. Here’s how you can love yourself:
Embrace your body - Dress well. Put on some make-up. Get a manicure. Comb your hair. Smell good with some deo or dab a perfume. Admire yourself in the mirror. It’s not about who sees you. It’s about
feeling good from within. For yourself.
Love your heart - Pamper it with the right foods and keep it away from the evil eyes of cholesterol. Go for that check-up you have long avoided for fear or ignorance. And with that, get a full check-up done.
Spend time with yourself - An hour a day to re-discover yourself will surprise you. You will see sides to you that you had lost along the way or simply forgot to unveil because you have been too busy admiring others or looking good for others.
Rekindle your passion - Start writing that book you have always penned only in your mind. Learn to play the tunes that have haunted you when your eyes shut out the world. Or set off on a journey to nowhere.
With no one. For nothing. Simply explore all day and amaze yourself with all that touches your heart along the way.
And then, what’s a Valentine’s without a gift? While the world entices you with diamonds, pour yourself a wine, immerse yourself in Bach and say the three magical words… I Love Me!
So, next February 14, devote the day to yourself. And say YES to the much unasked question, “Will I be my Valentine?”
Feedback: charulata.ravikumar@razorfish.com
