So your love life’s DOA, it’s like you are always stuck in second gear. And that part becomes “surround sound” today.

Alas, even your most faithful bedside companion Netflix betrayed you, dropping trailers after trailers of brand new romantic movies. That nosy colleague in the office has asked you five times if you had ‘plans for Valentine’s Day’. Or just the whole frenzy of colours – white and red – are suddenly more annoying.

I feel you. And no matter how much you are resisting and fighting back this feeling, you just wish there were noise-cancelling devices available for Valentine’s Day. But hey, don’t hate Valentine’s Day because you are single, despise it for the commercialism, and for no other reason.

My brother Abhishek and I Love forwarding the funniest Valentine’s Day memes to each other. Last year, this was our favourite –

This year, this one got us in splits.

Since now I am at a happy place where the coming and going of a specific day hardly affects my state of mind, it makes me quite qualified to offer some advice, don’t you think? Pardon my condescension. But here are a bunch of matter-of-fact things for you.

[1] Even though it may not seem like it, it’s perfectly normal to be single on Valentine’s Day or on other days or for many years or forever. Some people have pets, others don’t. Some people have children, others don’t. Some people have partners, others don’t. Your life. Period.

[2] Don’t let a good-meaning-day-turned-commercial affect your happiness. This too, like other holidays, shall pass.

[3] It’s also okay and totally natural to feel bad or lonely as you see colleagues, friends or cousins planning their dates or buying gifts for their partners. This shows you are a normal human being. And so are the others.

[4] It is not desperate to feel tempted to find a date this week, albeit temporary. However, remember that hook-ups too, like every other choice you make, have consequences. Choose wisely.

[5] This time of the year, you will recall your past mistakes in relationships. The mistakes will magnify in your mind, you may feel embarrassed by your choices or decisions or fill up with regrets. This is a process that you may need to go through once for all. If not other days, then during this week. Consider this as a confrontation with your self and it is healthy.

[6] Valentine’s day is an opportunity to focus on your own personal and professional growth. Your happiness does not depend on anyone but on you and your creator, the Almighty. Grab this as an opportunity and get to work.

[7] You are not lonely because you are single, you are Lonely because of your thoughts. There are plenty of people who are lonely even in relationships. And that’s worse. You are better off.

[8] Happiness is a choice on an everyday basis. Do you have a bunch of friends who care for you? That’s love. You are not love-deprived in this season after all. They will be there for you.

[9] Even when you don’t have friends around you and you feel lonely, God is in total control of your life. Allow Him to implement His amazing plan for you. Speaking from personal experience, I can assure you that His scripts are way better.

[10] Your creator always knows – your heart and soul, your flesh and bones. What a wonderful thing to know there’s someone beyond the universe, who cares for you.

[11] You are allowed to feel whatever you want from any given situation. You are not whiny or demanding or touchy. It’s just who you are. Embrace it. Change your attitude one at a time when you want to change for good. It would eventually change your character.

[12] Taking your mind off of the festive frenzy is fine. So is feeling the pain of a lost partner or a lost love. Come on, you are just human.

[13] Life is waiting to surprise you.

[14] You are unique. Can any one person or any one day or any one week change that?

[15] Eventually you will find someone who would learn to love you despite your flaws. And that someone would disappoint you at some point, so would you disappoint them. It’s the natural course of life. Everyone’s trying to survive here. So chill.

[16] Only God loves you and can love you with all your flaws completely and selflessly and He will never leave you nor forsake you. So stop putting so much pressure on your friends or family for your fun or for your loneliness.

[17] Your dreams are your dreams and they belong to nobody but you. But you know what’s more fun? Submitting those dreams to God and ask Him – So what do I do with these?

[18] A lot of folks out there are faking it on Valentine’s Day. Stay real.

[19] It’s normal to feel jealous of genuinely happy couples. You will get there as long as you stay true to who you are and what you want from life (and hopefully as long as you don’t [mis] lead someone on without meaning it).

[20] You have plenty of time to binge-watch, go cycling or running, finish that personal project or read that long book this weekend. Thank God it’s Friday!

[21] It’s way better to be single than being with someone who breaks your heart, doesn’t value you or makes you doubt your worth. Or worse, confuses you.

[22] Finding a purpose is finding a good life. Go get it. Ask God what He wants to do with your life. I say it again, He is way more creative than you ever can be with your life.