Although I celebrate Mardi Gras every year with gusto, I’ve never taken the next step: making a Lenten resolution. No doubt, the fact that I’m not Catholic has something to do with that.
But I do like the idea of a defined annual period of time in which to consciously examine and focus on one’s habits.
So this year, I am giving up swearing for Lent. Those of you who know me personally will realize this is not a simple challenge I’ve set for myself. But the point isn’t perfection – or at least, again, not being Catholic the point *for me* is not achieving perfection. So, no, I don’t plan to keep a “swear jar” or anything like that.
My goal in doing this is to become more conscious of how I use words and express myself and the impact that, in turn, has on the people around me.
Is there a habit in your personal or work life you’d like to examine more closely? Is there something you do out of habit that no longer serves you? Or something you’d like to become more conscious of? Is there something you’d benefit from adding? Can you take the next 40 (OK, technically 39 at this point) days to focus on it?
Although it’s traditional, I don’t think that a Lenten resolution would necessarily have to be about giving something up. It could just as easily be about adding something positive.
Maybe at the end of 40 days, I’ll resume my regular speech patterns. But maybe I won’t. Either way, I’ll have thought about it, which is saying something.