For those of you who haven’t seen, “The Tinder Swindler” yet, be prepared to be shocked. This Netflix Top 10 takes an inside look at how some have gone to lengths to take advantage of those of us out there seeking love and connection. It’s a cautionary tale and a sad one for those involved. Yet the documentary serves the purpose (without giving away the whole story) of how we as a culture have become accustomed to searching for matches. It raises the question about how much faith we give to the perceptions created through our online personas.
In honor of Valentine’s Day. I thought I’d take the time to reinforce how important human touch and connection are to our lives. The last two years have created justification and necessity for isolation, quaranteening for protection of those we care about, and habitual trends towards staying “safe” and yet distant from contact, hugs, or handshakes. Going to any function, no matter happy or sad can cause anxiety and stress. Learning how to navigate and plan these moments is one of the objectives I often discuss with my clients. Identifying our needs to relate and connect and build trust with those who respect and honor our basic values is an important first step.
So this Valentine’s Day, I wish you all the intuition to connect and reconnect in safe and healthy ways. Putting yourself out there to engage in a new hobby or form of self-care may be a better way to connect that through the metaverse as it allows you to experience how the person is and not just who they avail themselves to be. Give yourself the gift of being present with others so that real discussions can be had and you can notice what your feelings and intuition tell you about your experience and whether you trust yourself enough to take the next step in a relationship. Whatever your relationship status is this Valentine’s, I hope that all of you can rediscover what you love to do and who you enjoy spending time with or be willing to step out of your comfort zones to grow in new ways and see who you are drawn to while your own transformation takes place. The universe often sends messages and shares gifts, we just need to be open and ready to receive them when they come.
