Operation Love Letter

When was the last time you said “I love you” to yourself? Before bed last night? Last month? Ever? It’s never too late to start!

Almon Gunter, CEO and President of Almon Gunter Motivates, Inc., is challenging people to take the time to write themselves a love letter as part of Operation Love Letter. Gunter believes all love starts with loving yourself.

The Operation Love Letter Challenge asks people to write what they love about themselves. The letter aims to encourage people to learn, take risks, and grow each day. The goal of the letter is to show value to oneself and how to be your own biggest fan.

Tips for writing a love letter:

Look in the mirror and ask yourself, "what do you love about you?"
Get a notepad or several sheets of loose paper.
Find a quiet place to write.
Write different things you love about yourself.
Organize the thoughts into a love letter!

Gunter, who is a world-class sprinter, mentored University of South Florida defensive tackle Aaron Harris. Gunter is one of the most-renowned speed, agility, and mental toughness athletic coaches in the nation. For 20 years, he has developed over 1,000 athletes in eight different sports at the collegiate and professional levels.

During their time together, Gunter challenged Harris to the Love Letter Challenge. “Being the ‘lead by example’ type, I thought to myself, ‘I better write myself a love letter before I go preaching it to the world.’ Simple, right?…Wrong,” said Harris. “After several failed attempts, I finally wrote myself what I like to call an untraditional love letter. In my letter, I focused on accepting me for who I am, removing all negative energy, and shining light on my positive attributes.”

What would your love letter say?

Share your love letters on social media. You can take a picture of your letter or you can video yourself reading the letter! To promote the challenge, use the hashtag #loveletterchallenge to spread the love!

The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness of the importance of self-love. Gunter says loving yourself requires accepting your flaws and knowing that you are forever a work in progress who is growing and evolving – it’s loving yourself without needing validation from family, friends, or peers. When you connect and love yourself, you can better connect with and love others!

No one will love yourself as much as you, so get to writing that love letter!

About Almon Gunter

Almon Gunter is the CEO and President of Almon Gunter Motivates, Inc. He is a highly-acclaimed motivational and inspirational public speaker, author, and consultant, as well as a two-time US Olympic Trial Qualifier in track and field. He is the author of four self-help books: Focus on the Final Seconds, Win the Game of Life, The Essence of Teamwork, and Lead with your Life.

As a sprinter, Gunter competed internationally in over 15 countries. He ran the 13th fastest time in the world for 200 meters. He is currently using these experiences and successes on the track to help others reach their highest performance in life.

Gunter speaks all over the world on the topics of leadership, teamwork, goal setting and more. His background in training and development, senior management, and athletics give a unique perspective on life.