Hey, guys -- Do Valentine's right
Most guys are pretty lame when it comes to Valentine's Day. I know I was. Some years, I'd do it big; other years I'd pretty much forget. That's no good.
I've changed. Since I started studying women and their relationships in 2003, I learned to see the world around me in a new light. Today I'm convinced the only thing that really matters is the quality of our personal relationships. Everything else in life is a detail.
So, unlike most men, I really like Valentine's Day. I'm still not great at it, but I try to connect with people I care about in meaningful ways.
For example, this year I made some Valentine's cards by hand. I gave them away tonight to my close friends and neighbors, along with stuffed animals.
Yes, the cards and gifts were silly and sappy--certainly not something you'd expect from someone who teaches at Stanford University. Yep, the cards were unpolished and unsophisticated. To be sure, the cards I made cost me more in time than any card I could buy.
But as you can probably guess, that's the point of Valentine's Day: Sharing your unsophisticated emotional self with people you love.
So guys out there . . . if you're reading this post in time, I challenge you to do Valentine's Day right. The specifics of your gift or card or dinner don't matter (yes, you need to do something concrete -- no question). The key is to invest your real self in whatever you do for Valentine's Day. Above all, let down your guard and share your deeper emotions.
At first, opening up like this is scary. But if you keep at it, you will eventually realize what most women know intuitively: When you share your emotions with people you love, you get stronger inside.
