Lent, and giving more

Yesterday was a start of a very special time for Christians. It was Ash Wednesday and that starts the lenten season. Of course it is also when many will give something up. I thought long and hard about what to give up. However I kept coming back to the fact that for me it is not hard to give something up, it is harder for me to dedicate to the things I want to commit too.

So instead of giving up this year, I decided to give more. I am going to do the following things:

1. Work out for at least 30 minutes everyday.

This does not matter what I do, as long as I do something for 30 minutes everyday. Keeping my commitment to losing weight and getting in better shape mentally and physically.

2. To finally find a church and make a conscious effort to go once a week

I need to fill the void of spirituality that I am feeling in my life. I want to find a church were I feel that my soul is being fed.

3. To make even more of an effort to be aware of my surroundings, i.e. people who may need a door held open, or a bag carried. Simple things.

This means that I want to not walk around like where I am going is the only thing that matters. I want to be aware of all that is around me and make an effort to notice others around me as well.

4. To be more organized in my day to day life. Especially around my apartment

This means, put cloths away RIGHT after laundry, clean the dishes sooner then I do, keep up on things so I dont have to spend a day doing a big cleaning. This is hard to do when you live alone. When I shared space I found it easier to always keep things organized. I want to make that a priority. No relaxing til things are done. Once I get in the habit I know it will be easy in time.

I hope we all remember whether we believe in these rituals or not that spring is a wonderful time of renewal, the weather changes and the grass gets green, flowers start to grow and everything seems brighter. It is always a good time to take a step back and look at who we are and redefine the things that we want to work on or change.

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One thing that never ceases to amaze me, along with the growth of vegetation from the earth and of hair from the head, is the growth of understanding.

~ Alice Walker