February is the month of valentines, chocolate, flowers, and romance. Less commercially, we could also call it the month of the heart. Taking that a step further, I would like to suggest that we make February the “Month of Living with an Open Heart”: to live each day from our soul’s perspective, centered in love and compassion for our fellow human beings (all of them, not just partners or friends we send valentines to). Within the transitional energies of 2012 and beyond, we can co-create the world we want to live in, moment to moment.

So, this month, smile and make eye contact with every person you see at work, on the bus, or in the street. Smile from the heart, as if you were encountering a great spiritual master (and indeed you may be). Fill your pockets with bills and change and give generously to every homeless person who asks you for help. Hold the door open for a stranger. Carry a neighbor’s groceries. Call an old friend or family member with whom you have been out of touch. Or just be a listening presence for someone who crosses your path—you might be surprised at how many people just need a sympathetic ear to help them better cope with life’s ups and downs.

This month, count your blessings, and be a blessing in someone else’s life each day. Be grateful. Live fully, your heart overflowing with love. This is your soul’s path in life. It’s not here to find fault or complain; it’s here to experience and evolve, to see wonder and beauty in the ordinary details of the world. This is the miracle of living on Planet Earth, from the soul’s point of view.

If every one of us behaved in each moment as if the person we are interacting with is our most beloved soul-friend, think how wonderful the world would be. Make this month, this year, a time of living with an open heart and soul. For every person is indeed another version of you.