I've given this some thought and finally decided to give up potato chips. That sounds stupid when I write it...
Nope, sounds good :)
Only each of us knows our major vice, challenge, barrier, etc. Good for you for doing what is true to your journey!
+1
It doesn't sound stupid at all. It sounds brave.
(One of these years, I really am going to give up coffee/tea for Lent. But not this time...)Folks, we're getting so close! I really need to decide what I'm doing:
1. I'm going to give up complaining about being busy. I actually love what I do but I worry that I give off the impression that I don't (and I know I could even be more efficient at it, therefore actually being less busy!)
2. I'm going to change my attitude toward other drivers on the road. This is a place where I let myself vent my frustration (since I'm all alone in the car, usually!) and even though nobody can hear me, it makes driving less pleasant. And I think that in a way, expressing frustration kind of leads to more frustration. It's hard to articulate, but it has something to do with giving way to a negative mindset actually leading me to notice the negative more. I want to cultivate a more relaxed, go with the flow attitude, and have driving be a time of respite in between tasks and appointments.
3. I need to sleep more. This is a huge struggle for me, as I'm a major night owl, and addictive personality so once I get online, or turn on the TV, or start reading at night, it's hard for me to shut down and go to bed. So I often get way less sleep than I should, and both my health and productivity are suffering. I had been doing better for a while, but have slipped back. I'm not sure exactly what my goals and deadlines are going to be, but I think that will crystallize over the course of the Lenten period.
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I know that people are participating in this thread and Lent overall for a mixture of reasons - some as a form of spiritual discipline, some as a nostalgic practice from younger years that they still find beneficial, and some just as a way to kick-start a new habit. So I hope no one will take it as pressure if I offer up some prayer resources for those who might be interested? I haven't fully reviewed these sites, but they're from a variety of traditions, so hopefully if anyone is interested in some Lenten specific prayers, they'll find one that works for them:
http://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Lent.htmhttp://www.methodist.org.uk/prayer-and-worship/lent-and-easter/prayers-for-lent-and-easterhttp://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-00.htmlhttp://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/prayers-for-lent(I especially like the first one, which is just a collection of prayers, mostly written by the site's author, who has a mixed religious background himself. They're very poetic and quite "real." And able to be used flexibly. You can pick and choose from among the prayers, read a different one each day, or pick a couple to rotate between, or ... whatever you want!)