What are you giving up...and what are you giving?





Today is Ash Wednesday.  It marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period where Christian followers fast, abstain from eating meat, and repent of their sins.  During this time, they also give up something they value, such as coffee, TV, their iPod, etc, or decide to change a bad behavior or habit.  Then, on Easter Sunday (the last day of Lent), the person decides whether the sacrifice is continued or abandoned.

When you think of it, 40 days out of 365 isn't really a lot of time, but when you choose to turn your back on something you are accustomed to having or doing, it can seem like an eternity.  Many people report, however, that with each day that goes by, it gets a little bit easier to bear.  Sometimes, at the end of the forty days, they wonder why they bothered having or doing whatever it was they thought they couldn't live without.  Maybe it's not such a sacrifice after all.

Regardless of your spiritual path or religious beliefs, I propose we all give up something that needs to be gone from our lives.  Overeating, bad attitudes, toxic relationships, smoking, drinking, caffeine, arguing and/or fighting, putting down people for the sake of feeling superior ourselves, doing too much of anything...all are examples of healthy sacrifices.  Choose one that will make the biggest impact on your life right now.  

Start today...even if it isn't Ash Wednesday when you read this.  Choose only that one thing you're determined to get rid of, count out 40 days on your calendar, mark the 40th day, and put a red "X" on every day you succeed.  If you trip up, start again, and again, and again if you have to.  Making a change is no doubt difficult, but the control over your success lies within you and you only. 

During this period of sacrifice, why not use your time to help others?  Giving to someone else makes us feel good, keeps our minds off of what we're giving up, and puts our own struggles into perspective.  Offer to tutor a classmate.  Clean out your closet and donate your no longer needed clothing to a charity.  Become a Big Brother or Big Sister to a kid who needs your time and guidance. Volunteer at a local hospital or the Animal Protective Foundation.  You get the point. 

At the end of the 40 days, you have two decisions to make:  1)  Will you continue giving up?  and 2)  Will you continue giving?

To show that I practice what I preach (so to speak), I'm giving up snacking after 8:00pm.  That's when I'm usually sitting in front of the TV with some kind of salty or sweet carb to munch on...even though I'm trying to lose a few pounds.  So, I'm gonna bite the bullet.  If I need something to nibble on, it will be before 8, and will be something healthy for me.  If I trip up (hey, I'm human too), then I will start back at Day 1 again.  Who knows...in 40 days I might be able to live without snacking after 8 completely. 

To keep myself motivated (yet distracted), I plan to use my time to clean out and organize my attic, and will donate anything I haven't used in a year to Goodwill.  Trust me...it will take at least 40 days to complete this task, but getting this done will a huge improvement and I will feel great.

Today is Day One, and Day 40 is marked on my calendar.  It'll be hard, but I can do this.  So can you.  Are you with me?










<Note:  All images obtained through Google Images unless otherwise noted>
(c) 2012 Robyn M. Posson