Assignment 10: Do Something Romantic

This week on the Love Project we are going to explore Romance.

Assignment 10: What does romance mean to you? This week spend some time making a list of what you find romantic. Then pick one of those ideas and experience some romance either on your own or with someone else. Write a comment or a blog post and I'll feature you on Website Wednesday and on my Love Links page.

Background: A couple of days ago I wrote about the "romantic" relationship I had with an old man I'd met by volunteering in a nursing home. We tend to think "romantic relationships" must be "sexual relationships" but they don't have to be. Romance can be experienced with friends, family, or even on our own. Of course, most of us associate romance with "romantic love." If we're at a beautiful, romantic place, we want to be sharing that with a romantic partner and it can be kind of depressing to be on our own while we see all the other love-birds around us, being all inappropriately smoochy. Instead of enjoying the romance and beauty, we can sit there pouting about how we are "all alone." To that I say "Bbrerrrsr" <- This is the sound that goes with pursing your lips and blowing... kind of like sticking your tongue out, but with sound. (I'm going to have to research the word for this action and the correct way to spell the corresponding sound, but basically it means, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy the romance!")

We spend so much time in this life wanting to be validated by others. We feel in order for romance to be real, someone else has to tell us we're beautiful. We need to get flowers or attention. We need to be holding hands or kissing. Sure... those things are wonderful and we all want them. And if you have a romantic partner in your life, then take full advantage of that. Lavish your partner with the kind of romance they most enjoy.

But, if you don't have it... if you're single... it doesn't mean you have to give up on romance. Romance others, romance yourself... Gaze at the moon, the mountains, the ocean and feel the love in the world and know that you are part of it. Let a breeze embrace you, giving you tingles. Let snowflakes fall on your face. Let the smiles from strangers fill you with a sense of peace. Know that you're loved, with or without a romantic partner.

And last, but not least, tell those annoying love-birds to get a room...

Assignment 2: What are your Love Goals? Looprah Woo advice #love2011

The theme for Week 2 is Goal-Setting. Yes, yes... not very original, but there is SO much great stuff around goal setting and this is the time of year we're all thinking about it... So, the prompt for this week is:

What are you going to do in 2011 to bring more love (see note below) into your life? What goal-setting techniques and resources are you going to use to make that happen?

Note: Things you do to love and accept yourself are a good place to start. Hence the classic: "Lose Weight" is a perfectly acceptable "Love Goal" if you think you'll love yourself more if you weigh less... )

You can take part in this assignment in many ways. You can write about it on a blog and tell me about it. You can use one of the tools I'm going to tell you about this week. Or (my favorite) you can create a video! Here's one I really like from Supreme Mistress Looprah Woo:

Watch for Website Wednesday when I feature blogs and products about goal-setting and New Years resolutions.

Oh! And, of course, a very appropriate "love goal" would be to subscribe to The Love Project 2011 and spread the word!

Cut and Paste the following to your status on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites: Join The Love Project: http://bit.ly/aJWbG0 #love2011