Chocolate, pop, going out to eat, spending time on social media, watching TV...these might be common responses to what people might say if asked what they are giving up for Lent. Of course, you don't have to give something up; you could do something extra to create a more positive impact on your life. How about healthier eating or a new exercise routine? I even tried that last year with the purchase a fancy new treadmill (okay, it wasn't that fancy but it was new); well, that 35-minute brisk daily walk lasted all of the 40 days of Lent, and the treadmill is now collecting dust in a more remote part of the house.
This year, I thought I would try a different approach this
Lenten season that might transform my attitude and outlook on life and will
hopefully extend beyond the 40-day mark.
I think a lot of people start off really strong at the beginning of Lent
and as the days and weeks go by, temptation creeps in and its magnetic pull
becomes even stronger. Forty days is a
really. long. time.
First of all, I came across a link from Matthew Kelly (author
of The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic) entitled "Best Lent
Ever": http://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/
Best Lent Ever? Okay,
let's do it! So, I signed up for the
daily e-mails, which include a variety of prayers, reflections, and short
videos all based on a different theme, such as being the best version of
yourself. It seems like any time I
immerse myself in something like this, more often than not the prayer or
reflection for that day is exactly what I needed to hear at that moment, which
brings me to my goal for this Lenten season:
Letting go of worry and replacing negative thoughts with more positive
ones.
I have always considered myself a chronic worrier. Here's the way my mind works: I am always thinking (usually worrying) about
something. As soon as one worry is
conquered, another one creeps in to take its place. The more I worry or think about something,
the more it balloons into a bigger problem and irrationality takes over. It is only when I stand back from the
situation and attempt to see it through a new perspective that I finally
realize I either have to let it go since I have no control over it or take
action and do what I can to solve the problem instead of letting it stew,
really the essence of the serenity prayer (God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I
can, and wisdom to know the difference).
My challenge to myself is this: When I become worried or fearful of a situation,
I am going to replace my negative and worried thoughts with something more
positive, either an action plan to take control of the situation or replace a
negative thought with an upcoming event that I can look forward to or even simply
something for which I am grateful. I
know this will be a process and will probably take longer than the 40 days of
Lent to achieve a new way of thinking, but I know in the long run this is just
one way to help create the best version of myself.
"Incredible change happens in your life when you decide
to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over
what you don't." - Steve Maraboli
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