Life Lessons: Fantastic February

By Hayley McDonnell.

February is known for many things; it could be the shortest month of the year, the coldest month of the year, or the month of love. You probably know that the original Roman calendar enjoyed by Western culture today only had ten months. At one stage, the Romans didn’t demarcate winter, and later on, two extra months were added, but more about that another time.

In the 700s BCE, the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, added January and February to the end of the calendar to conform to how long it actually takes Earth to go around the sun. The two new months were both originally 28 days long. The best fact of all is that February used to be called the cabbage month! Originally it was Solmonath which in Old English means “mud month”, and this was later changed to Kale-monath, which meant cabbage month.

Other months like January, which are named after Roman gods, the month of February was named after the Roman god Februus. The Roman festival of purification took place this month, where people were ritually washed. For the first time, the god was named after the festival.

So today, one is often found thinking, What’s good about February?

Christmas is well in the past, and it is still dark in the mornings and evenings, and it is probably raining. We are often still in hibernation mode, waiting for Spring, but whilst we wait for brighter climes and time outside, there is still time to focus on the inside of the home and enjoy our familiar surroundings.

If you started in January to add important dates to your diary, now is the time to add any additional ones or start now if this is new to you. February and March gifts can be wrapped and posted in good time, and source your April presents now. Make those restaurant reservations this month for these later occasions and add in the dates for friends and family get-togethers too.

In the Christian calendar, February is when Lent begins. Traditionally it is a time of self-sacrifice or inner purification to appreciate and be grateful for what we have and encourage us to take time to give back to others in our home or local community.

A challenge taken this month could be removing something unwanted from your house every day. To give focus, choose four areas of the home:

Week 1 Toiletries and Make-up

Week 2 Clothes

Week 3 Books

Week 4 E-mail inbox

You can decide; perhaps you want to focus on a particular room this month for your sense of purification. You can make a massive difference by removing one item every day for a month, and remember, February is a short month; you are only releasing 28 things (real or virtual) you will see and feel a difference.

Social – February is a short month, so plan your time with others carefully.

Moral – Do you have any new habits you want to start this month.

Spiritual – For inner peace and calm, find 10 minutes every day with no
screen time to listen to music, read a book or complete a simple drawing.

Cultural - February is the month of love and connection - do something you love with someone you care about.

Hayley McDonnell is a Personal Development/SMSC consultant and author intent on bridging the gap between countries, cultures, customs and ultimately people with “Global Collaboration” Her aim is to make our world feel smaller by connecting with our similarities and embracing our differences. She loves to travel and meet new people from different backgrounds, countries and cultures. You can find out more about Hayley here.