Happy Valentine’s Day! Today, we want to share with you a couple books we’ve found personally helpful on how to love others and ourselves completely and joyfully.
Our go-to relationship experts, Drs. John and Julie Gottman, have spent forty years studying what separates the masters of relationships from the disasters, and their books are the ultimate science-based practical guides to deeper connection and intimacy.
Consider that it doesn’t take grand gestures or big, hard conversations to maintain a healthy and happy relationship—it just takes small things often. The Gottmans’ New York Times Bestseller The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy, breaks down the formula for a good relationship—and shows you how with just a few small bids for connection, you can fundamentally transform your relationship.
To get you started, here’s an exclusive short check-in exercise you can do with your partner. It only takes ten minutes and can help bolster your relationship, as well as give you a taste of how the small things make a huge difference.
Our team has found that whether we’re long-time partners or newlyweds, there are eight conversations that can help you build a lifetime of love that lasts through challenges, surprises, joy and pain. The Gottmans’ classic book, Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, can help you discover (and rediscover!) your partner like never before—and you’ll be able to realize your hopes and dreams for the love you desire and deserve. This book has already helped hundreds of thousands of couples, and we want to share it again with you—as well as these 100 bonus conversation starters to share with your Valentine.
Ultimately, of course, love is not just about a romantic relationship. Fundamentally, all of us have to learn to love the world and ourselves. Silvia Vasquez-Lavado’s unforgettable memoir, In The Shadow of the Mountain, just released in paperback, is a reminder and roadmap to do just that. Her story reveals one fundamental truth: in order to heal, we all have our own mountains to climb. No matter how steep the journey may seem, only through self-forgiveness and self-compassion can we reach new heights. The New York Times gave it a stunning review and People Magazine said, “You’ll finish her incredible story in tears.” To know Silvia’s story is to be inspired, and so we wanted to offer you this exclusive excerpt of the first chapter of her book, in which you’ll be dropped directly into the action, as Silvia navigates a crevasse on Everest.
As always, feel free to share this message and any of our offerings with friends, family, and loved ones. Or even to encourage them to sign up for our newsletter so they never miss a new life-changing, world-changing book!
With love,
Rachel, Alyssa, Sarah, Doug, Ty, Bella, Jordan, Mark, Janelle, and Kelly.
P.S. If you’re interested in The Love Prescription, check out the other books in the Seven Days Series: Dr. Elissa Epel’s The Stress Prescription, where she shows us how we can make friends with stress and and actually learn to use it our advantage; and Dr. Aric Prather’s The Sleep Prescription. If you haven’t checked them out yet, all three books are available now!
