40 days

the past wednesday, ash wednesday, marked the beginning of a period known as lent. lent is the period of time (considered to be 40 days, when in reality it's 46, but they don't count sundays... wikipedia it) leading up to Easter sunday. lent has come a long way from its origin, but current customs include fasting from certain foods or giving up something that is enjoyed. every year around this time i find myself contemplating what it is that i'm willing to give up. one year back in high school, i decided to give up shopping for myself. i know, big deal. however, what i didn't account for was the fact that i would be visiting the mall of america before the end of lent. yes, that's right, i went to the mall of america... for spring break. yes, my parents love me that much. anyway, back to the point. i was going to THE mall of america, how could i not shop? so as you may have guessed, i quickly abandoned that decision, and ended up not giving up anything. as a matter of fact, i have never successfully given up anything for the entire period of lent. ever.

this morning (the day doesn't end until i sleep), i was walking to class with my dear friend. in order to keep her as my friend, i am obliged to keep her anonymous. so we're walking to class, talking about our exciting lives, and then begin discussing lent. she's a good little Catholic girl, so she always gives something up, and actually follows through. last year she gave up coffee. both the world and i would be much more miserable if i gave up coffee. while discussing possible things to abstain from, such as snacking, shopping, and boys (basically, my life), i thought, what makes lent so different from new year's resolutions? they always create that false feeling of hope for betterment or self-improvement. they always sound good at first and look good on paper. they're really not that different.

so why is it that so many more people seem inclined to observe lent and succeed in their self-deprivation, while millions constantly fail at their new year's resolutions? my theory: it's all in the timing. new year's resolutions seem more definite. i will not drink coffee for the rest of this year. whoa, yeah right. i will not drink coffee for the next 40 (+6) days. okay, that's doable. so that's the trick. break it down a little. take it slow. treat every month like it's lent. give up something new every 40 days. stop looking at the year as a single unit; start seeing it as 12 entities. think of the year as a pie, and each month is a slice of that pie. who cares about the rest of the pie, all that matters is the slice sitting in front of you. the rest of the pie is all the goodness you'll get to enjoy after you finish this piece. so go ahead, dig into your slice. strive for that goal. make those resolutions. after all, it's as easy as pie.

*as a side note, i am currently taking suggestions for lent. go ahead, throw them out there. after all, they can't be more ridiculous than giving up statler salads. as a bonus, you'll get to read all about it.