February 8, 2016 – Editors Desk, Benson Valentine

365 MILLION CARDS FILLED WITH LOVE WILL REACH THAT SPECAIL PERSON THE 14 OF FEBRUARY. IS THAT THE ONLY DAY WE SHOULD SEND OUR LOVE?

Bill Benson LMFT, LPCC has a suggestion to keep your Valentine happy… (all year around)

Happy Valentine's Year

When I visited the supermarket two weeks ago - the aisleswere already adorned with pink-frosted cupcakes andfloating heart-shaped balloons. I thought to myself: Don'tthey know these displays will be spoiled and deflated bythe 14th?

Clearly, this pre-holiday product-placement was a teaserdesigned to get us in the mood, so by Valentine's Day weare whipped into a candy and card shopping frenzy.

Although the Groundhog had yet to see his shadow, ourmost infamous Hallmark holiday was already popping-up and peeking at us with dollar signs in its eyes.

I imagined Marketing Department heads huddled together last autumn - scanning projections: "Why wait?"they plotted, "we can afford a little product-loss on February's front-end to promote a sure-thing comeValentine's Day."

Perhaps I am needlessly painting villainous mustaches on Marketers: By-and-large I'm sure they're lovelypeople just doing their part to keep Consumerism pumping through America's veins. To their credit, theircampaigns' long rollouts have unintentionally created a concept that is deliciously healthy:

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Continued Bill Benson / Valentines 2/8/2016 Edition – Editors Desk

Why not extend the Holiday?

So, what about all-year-round love exposure? I'm not proposing a sizzling kind of passion, butrather, an unconditional, expectation-less, no-need-to-reciprocate positivity that exists in you(and in me, and in all of us)....

Take a moment and ask yourself: What is my cost/benefit analysis for kindness? Doeshonorable behavior diminish my returns? In doing something nice, do I feel Super-sized?

So, I would like to beat every advertiser to-the-punch in wishing you: "Happy Valentine's Year."

Because, whatever form love takes, it feels good - and is good for you (No purchase necessary).

*Join Love's campaign - Pass along this article to those you know:

Kindness deserves to go "viral."

Author Bill Benson, LMFT, LPCC is a Board Certified, Licensed Psychotherapist and ClinicalCounselor. His company The Mental Gym has trained thousands to build, and then maintainemotional muscle and healthier perspectives.

www.thementalgym.com