Valentine’s Day can feel like New Year’s Eve of the heart – everything from expectations of others to the price of prix fixe menus get set way too high. Lonely hearts get way too drunk. And some of us eat way too many chocolate hearts.

It’s easy to get too serious and to lose sight of how much fun love actually is. And how magical it is to really connect with someone – whether it’s a new love, a new friend or your partner of years.

I’ve been getting a ton of great tales of people finding love through playing SERENFLIPITY. The stories are amazing – and the principles behind why people are connecting are even more interesting. They’re all about letting go of expectations, getting beyond small talk and taking some chances.

Take Jess. She was semi-bummed and super-single right before Christmas. Her sister suggested that they go to a local jewelry show in their hometown in Connecticut.

“Honestly, I grew up here and there is nothing fun to do in this town. Nothing. She basically forced me to go, so I put on my sweatpants and said I’d go for an hour. We show up at this little warehouse and it turns out that it’s a small business fair with alpacas and vegan ice cream.

“There was a coffee stand, and a guy trying to give us samples. I’m secretly annoyed to be there – but the alpaca was cool – so I take a cup, but don’t even really see him.

“I had been flipping through the cards before and had them in my hand. He asked what I was doing, which led to this crazy conversation about adventures and a shared desire to be present. Something shifted as we talked – and he went from being a stranger in all black to a totally shining guy.

“So, then I got bold – and I put my number on one of the cards and gave it to him, kind of like in the movies! On our first date, I figured I’d bring the cards, because we’d bonded over them and I didn’t want there to be awkward silence…

“He chose one, and of course it happened to be the ‘kiss someone’ card – which he decided to use later that evening. But, honestly, the one that actually connected us (which made the kiss awesome!) was when we started talking about ‘what breaks your heart and what makes it sing.’

“When I met him, I felt resigned to Tinder, and this reminded me that I just have to leave the house and say ‘yes’ to doing something in a new way. But it’s hard to step outside of my comfort zone in my hometown because I think I know everybody.

“And what’s really cool is that we connected because I was talking about something I was so passionate about – working for a start up and having adventures. So I really know that if I am doing my passion, I’ll meet the right guy, and I won’t have to change or rationalize.”

We love stories like these, and there are so many more to share – from romances, to friendships to family reunions.

So, the SERENFLIPITY team has been dreaming up how to get more people into that open-hearted, adventurous and playful place where love just seems to seamlessly seep in. Our February mission is to flip love from pressure and expectation – and to bring back the fun, serendipity and adventure.

It means thinking about love beyond the romantic – and embracing bromances, friendships and family. Connecting with your partner in a new way, if you’re in a relationship. Sparking with a stranger, if you’re single. Or simply rekindling a connection with someone you care about.

So, every Monday for the month of February, we’ll post one of the flips that have led to a SERENFLIPITY love story. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to do that flip. Share your story and tag us on Instagram (with #serenflipity and #fliplove), and we’ll award a winner each week with a limited edition SERENFLIPITY deck.

But the best reward of all might just be a new lease on love.

Join in on Instagram, @serenflipity, and share this with anyone who needs a lil’ more lovin’.