It is that time of the year when some of us are wondering what we should give up for lent. For those who are not familiar with the term, lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. It is basically a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. You focus on your relationship with God by giving up something or giving something to others.
My roommate usually gives up meat along with something else such as eating sweets. I personally love meat so I don’t think I could do that. However, I recently read an article and there were many things listed to give up for lent. It was an eye opener because I never even thought about giving up any of these things.
A few things from the list were:
- fear
- impatience
- the need to please everyone
- sense of entitlement
- bitterness, gossip and negativity
- blame
- comparison
- fear of failure
- spirit of poverty
- worry
- lack of counsel
…..and many more. Even typing this right now, I am in awe. This is my reaction because the entire list is something that we all need to practice on a daily basis to better ourselves. From this list….
I am choosing three things and here’s why:
Impatience:
This has always been a weakness of mine. I call it weakness because we all know that patience is a virtue. I feel like I can be more patient than I am. I often rush as if I am in a hurry and just cannot wait on anything or anyone. Patience needs to be practiced with people, with yourself, with goals. That being said I am giving up impatience because timing is everything, good things cannot be rushed.
Worry:
It is human nature to worry about things especially if we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. We often forget about how we overcame the last obstacle we encountered. I am giving up worry because worrying can be stressful especially if there is nothing to do but wait. Trusting that things will work out just fine.
Spirit of poverty:
We often take for granted what we have. We always want more and we want it now. We think what we have or do is not enough especially if we start comparing. We forget that being able to wake up in the morning is ENOUGH. I am giving up the spirit of poverty because there is never a lack and I am grateful for what I have.
For those who do not practice lent or not religious at all, I think this is something to put in practice every once in a while. It can even be a new way to challenge yourself every 3 or 6 months. Giving up a bad habit will help you instill discipline in your life. It is a time to focus on yourself and reflect on yourself. Giving up an old habit and cultivating new ones which can be useful for you and your environment.
“Let’s chat again in my upcoming post. In the meantime, feel free to share the post with your loved ones and stay in touch via IG: @aleeexxpb”
Alexandra Belizaire
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