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Together, we’ll dive deep and find the strength to never give up because Great Things Take Time.

There are a lot of hot takes I have. For example, flip-flops and sandals belong at the beach, and you shouldn’t wear them anywhere else, ESPECIALLY in NYC with its street juices. 

Do you know what’s on the ground? 

Yeah, I don’t either, which is why you will never catch me in sandals. Plus, what if you have to break into a run? Are you telling me you’ll easily catch the subway before it leaves wearing a piece of rubber with a wishbone holding it to your feet? Nah, I’m good.

I digress…

Today, we’re talking all about LOVE.

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and join the Great Things Take Time Community to get content from me every Monday.

Here's what's in today's email

• What Is Love?

• February Challenge

• What's Got Me Smilin'

What Is Love?

(If you didn’t just sing What is Love by Haddaway, what are you even doing?)

Another hot take I have is that love is private.

People will say I’m hiding, but here’s how I see it. 

We all look at love differently, we all have different love languages. We don’t always have the same love language as our partners, friends, or family members. We have to learn how to give love in a way that is different from how we’re used to receiving it. 

My way is not the only way, but since you signed up for this newsletter out of your own volition, I’ll give you my two cents. 

To me:

Love is freedom. 

Love is trust.

Love is willing to grow with someone as they change. 

Love is empowering, and it is unique. 

Love is not always given in the same way it needs to be received. 

Love can be private.

Now, when I say love can be private, I don’t mean that it shouldn’t be shared. It most certainly should be shared. Do we share our love because doing so magnifies it in the same way that a snowball rolling down a mountain grows the farther it travels?

Or is it publicized due to overcompensation?

What is the standard for showing love to someone on their birthday? Do we reach out to them directly first thing in the morning? Do we send a card? Make plans in advance to celebrate? 

Or do we just post something on social media? 

Be honest, would you know to wish someone a happy birthday if you didn’t see a post or story wishing them that? 

I don’t say this to shame anyone into not posting for a birthday or a celebration. I post things to mark various celebratory things in my life, and I’m not going to stop doing so. I bring all this up, because I want you to do a gut check like I’ve done for myself.

Are We Not Loving Enough These Days?

Twenty years ago, we didn’t have social media. Does that mean we didn’t really love each other as much as we do now? Now, if you love a person, a cause, an activity, or a way of life, you have to put it on social media to prove your feelings. We skip the part where we tell it directly to the person or entity, we just go straight to sharing it with the world.

What we are receiving on social media is not always real. We don’t know what’s happening in real life. There are dramatic acts of love and carefully coordinated photo shoots that convince us the way we choose to love is not enough and not done right.

Is it just overcompensation because we’ve forgotten how to show love? Have we gotten scared away because we see these big displays of love and feel like we will never be able to measure up?

There are days when I ask myself if I am posting something to appease others. Am I posting it because I feel I need to check a box or prove something? Or am I posting it because I want to ensure I have a strong memory and think this is an important part of my life that I want others to be apart of?

It’s important to me to have people and activities that are mine that are not widely shared. I keep a lot of my private life close to my chest and pick and choose how and when I share things (like today in this newsletter). It can be nice to have activities and people who I can protect from outside opinions and thoughts who don’t know the full story. You shouldn’t worry about criticism from someone you would never take advice from. Not that I care too much, after all, I am in my “I Don’t Care What You Think” Era after turning 40.

But a huge facet of love, that I think we can all agree on, is communication. On one side, there needs to be communication of needs and reactions, on the other side, there needs to be a willingness to be receptive to what the other side is asking for. Two parties can be different and have a wonderful love as long as there is a method of communication that works.

Take a romantic relationship. If you don’t have strong communication to share how much you care about the other person, that’s when seeing dramatic displays of affection on social media can start to get that. Next thing you know, you’re upset and frustrated and making passive aggressive comments that you wish you’d gotten a jumbo box of chocolates that look like flowers, and you don’t even like chocolate!

We can easily be convinced and influenced into wanting something we don’t actually want. It just seems like we should.

February Love

This brings us to the first official GTTT challenge this February. Unless you live under a rock, you know that Valentine’s Day takes over the month of February. Any store you’re in has been filled with paraphernalia for the holiday for at least the last month.

I know so many people who enjoy sending a themed card, making a creative basket, or decorating their home with fun themed things who treat the holiday as one of many ways to show love, not the main event. When Valentines Day is just an excuse to outwardly manifest our love in a fun way, it takes the pressure off of getting it right on the big days. There are so many other times during the year where love will be shown. 

The goal of this challenge is to explore the way love is present in your life and the different ways to show it. To learn what the unique communication styles are that you need for every type of relationship, and to be reminded that there are many different ways to show love.

My hope, is that you’ll be able to repeat this challenge each month. Since February is the shortest month, 1. You have no excuse not to be able to do this (it’s so short!) and 2. You can repeat this for every month after and get a “rest day” to be a grouchy, mean, and hateful gremlin. (Kidding, I sure hope you need to default to that).

So whether or not you’re joining me for the February Challenge, I hope you can find ways to show love that are authentic and meaningful in your own way.

 🌸 February Challenge🌸 

This challenge is 28 days of seeking out love in every aspect of your life. Whether showing love for your community, a stranger, or yourself, love is at the inception of all Great Things. Great Things Take Time, but they also take a lot of love.

Great Things Take Love

Below, you will find the calendar of the 28 days, starting this Saturday. Feel free to save the image, or download the PDF to keep track of your progress. If you feel inspired to share a day or your progress, don’t hesitate to tag @greatthingswith_adrian or use the hashtag #GreatThingsTakeLove. I’d love to share your stories to encourage others to seek out love. Use the cherry blossom emoji 🌸 to mark off days you’ve completed and hold yourself and others accountable.

There will be daily reminders from the @greatthingswith_adrian  Instagram account and weekly recaps during the normal Mondays. This challenge has been a pleasure to put together and I hope you’ll be willing to join me!

Visit https://greatthingswithadrian.com/p/gttl

Because no matter what, there is always something to smile about.

Like There’s Nothing Else In The World

Have you picked up on the fact that I like green yet? This past week gave me an outlet in a surprising way: painting my new gym green. It was so peaceful to unplug from the world and just focus on painting. But let me tell you, taping the edges is AWFUL!

Ramen Weather

When it’s this cold, you have no choice but to make ramen. It’s the perfect cold-weather meal! Would love any recommendations on local Tri-State area ramen cooking classes or good recipes to try.

The People Who Support Us

Took out my producers (Jeff and Carly) to dinner. I cannot stress enough that these two make so much of what I do possible and I am beyond grateful for how they support me and the company. I am truly lucky to have them in my life.

It’s Becoming A Home

This week, I finally got to hang some of my photography in my home. Over the years, I’ve been present at important moments in my life with my camera, I just have never done anything with the photos. I think the whole digital film, you don’t need to get things printed, is really messing with me. Remember when our parents would have albums of photos? Now, we just have gigs of memory being taken up by accidental screenshots and random photos. 

Here’s to leading with love, even if it feels like no one else in the world is doing so!

Remember:

-Adrian