Editor's Fix: Thoughtfulness vs. Bling this Valentine's

There is a lot of hype around Valentine’s Day, whether people take it to “heart” or find its commercialization offensive. Perhaps you’re asking yourself what the point is in setting aside one day a year to show your loved ones how you feel when it should be something ingrained in our daily life. Honestly, how often over the last year have you taken the time to express your feelings or gone out of your way to do something meaningful and thoughtful for your partner, sibling, parent, grandparent or child?

Despite what the diamond, flower, chocolate and travel companies might market, I think it’s about truly understanding the people in our lives. Surprising your grandma with a letter as she feels disconnected an lonely. Taking your mom cross country skiing because it’s something she wants to get back into but won’t go out on her own. Babysitting a friend’s kids so they can go for a run or hit the spa as they won’t take time for themselves. Organizing a snowshoe with the girls and bringing snacks and hot chocolate as in their busy lives they haven’t had a chance to catch up with everyone. Regardless of what it is, taking the time to figure out what is important to the people in your life shows that you care and are sensitive to their interests and needs.

As part of some goals recently set I decided to invest in self-development, and subsequently purchased books to help in the endeavor. The first I dove into was a collection of articles on self management published by the Harvard Business Review. It opened with an article by the renowned Peter Drucker that automatically resonated with me. Among other simple yet eye opening observations, he wrote about the importance of relationships.

“Managing yourslef requires taking responsibility for relationships. This has two parts. The first is to accept the fact that other people are as much individuals as you yourself are. (...) The second part (...) is taking responsibility for communication.”

Drucker, a professor of social sicence and management, pinpointed this fundamental aspect of sucess both in life and in business in this article “Managing Oneself” which was first published in 1999. Drucker was 90 years old at the time, and still communicating his strong belief in the importance of people over ‘bling’.

Happy Valentine’s Day, may you have the experience, understanding, communication, love and happiness your heart desires. And the bling, if it’s your thing :-)

Editor
Krista Turcasso

People, I realized, were what I valued, and I saw no point in being the richest man in the cemetary.
~ Peter Drucker on quitting his Wallstreet job during the Depression.