Today is Valentine’s Day, and along with just about every other blogger in the known universe, I am focusing on matters of the heart — with a twist.
A couple of weeks ago, I came across this youtube video titled “Validation.” I invite you to watch the video before beginning the prompts this week. It’s sixteen minutes long, but worth the time.
Validation
This week’s journaling prompts:
- What touched you most about the video, “Validation”? Did you gain any insights from it? Write about it for ten minutes.
– - Write about three people you love. For each person, write 3-5 things about him (or her) that he does well and that you admire. Make a point of validating all three people today by telling them what you wrote.
– - As an experiment this week, make a point of complimenting (validating) at least one person per day. At the end of the week, write for ten minutes about this experiment. Did you do it? If so, how did it feel? If not, write about what held you back and how you feel about it.
– - What does it mean to love someone? What does it mean to accept a person as she is? Are these the same things or different? How?
– - Write down 3-5 things that you do well or that you like about yourself. Stand in front of a mirror and say them to yourself (yeah, you’ll feel silly, but then you’ll feel good!).
– - Write for ten minutes about what it means to be affectionate and how you feel about affection in general. Was your family of origin affectionate or not, and how does that affect how you feel about the subject and/or your relationships with others?
– - Write about healthy and unhealthy relationships you’ve had, and the differences and similarities between them. What, in your opinion, makes a relationship stronger and healthier?
I invite you to share any insights you experienced either through viewing the video or responding to any of the journaling prompts.
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Oh my! It took a few minutes to dry my eyes. You write the most amazing blog. You are wonderful. This is going to go viral. THANK YOU for sharing it!
Aw, thanks Sharon! That’s how I felt about the video, too … even my boyfriend teared up when he watched it (but then he’s the sort of guy who likes chick flicks … no wonder I love him so much). On the serious side, validating those I love is the best way I know how to keep love alive and well. And validating oneself — well that just goes double.
Oh, and thanks for the validations! 🙂
DELIGHTFUL! So this is a prelude to what our world could be if we offered people a positive light in which to shine. I’ve often wondered what might happen if our news media, TV, Internet, newspapers, etc. would give just a portion of their time to ‘validate’ what in our world is good, tender, true. Not to ignore the woes that do exist, but I somehow suspect that there is more good in the world than what we hear about. In fact, I like to believe that it is the good in our world that keeps it spinning. It’s spinning to shakeoff the bad so that the good can come forth as in this video. Thanks, Amber.
aww i really loved it! especially what you had to say after about validating those you love being the best way you know how to keep love alive and well. That’s amazing and put so well. I’m going to make a point to validate those i love more often 🙂