I have been a Catholic for some 40 plus years. Albeit, not a very good one, but a Catholic nonetheless. Last night my niece asked me what I was giving up for Lent. I thought for a minute and said, "I'm not. I'm doing something instead."
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent begins on 17 February 2010 and ends on 3 April 2010, which is the day before Easter. It's our tradition to give up (or 'fast from') something(s) that we do a lot of and that we find pleasure in.
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent begins on 17 February 2010 and ends on 3 April 2010, which is the day before Easter. It's our tradition to give up (or 'fast from') something(s) that we do a lot of and that we find pleasure in.
Why can't we do something instead? Isn't doing something you don't normally do, just as painful as giving something up? If you're a shy person, vow to speak to a stranger everyday. If you have road rage, vow to slow down on the road and let people cut in. If you don't spend enough time with your kids, vow to read to them every night, or set aside .10 mins everyday to learn about their day. Isn't doing something better than giving something up? After all, who, other than you, benefits when you give up chocolate? Well, your thighs maybe...
This year, I vow to do something different with my life. I vow to get out of this "just living" rut and "GET LIVING!" I am not going to let our strangling budget get in my way anymore! I am going to get creative when it comes to finding inexpensive fun things to do and follow at least one of my entrepreneurial dreams. Okay, one MORE of my entrepreneurial dreams.
I found this old list tucked in a box while cleaning my desk out the other day (another vow to get organized). I can't remember where I took it from, so I can't give credit, but I thought I would share it with you just the same.
10 Thoughts on Whole Living ~
1. When you commit your dreams to paper, you give them a place to take root.
2. Be mindful of where you put your attention. The Shape of your life will follow.
3. When you view your health as nonnegotiable, your priorities naturally shift.
4. Positive change starts with truth, and no one knows it better than you.
5. You're more than just what you do for others.
6. Before you react to an emotion, first consider its source.
7. Learning to let go begins with understanding why you've been hanging on.
8. Do more than understand stress reduction; put it into practice.
9. There's no way to grow without taking a few risks.
10. Setting boundaries doesn't keep others out. It defines where your life begins.
I love to write, so the first step is an easy one for me. However, the 9th one is my fav. I am full of dreams that have yet to be fulfilled and have no intentions of stopping until I am done.
Remember ~ like traveling ~ Life is about the journey, not the destination.
3 comments:
#1 - I concur, it is a foolish thing to enforce guilt and negativity. Probably why I am as "non-practicing" as any catholic can be!
#2 - Good thought, about trying to envoke positive change with the use of lent.
So you can count me in!
For years I have thought that "doing" something was better than "giving up" something. I think it requires more thought than just avoiding a certain food etc which is a fairly easy thing to do.
so much nicer to try and do something good.
What a great thought! I agree with you . Doing something is much nicer than giving something up. That way you are helping others.And I intend to do that everyday. Thanks for the thought!!
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