What are you giving up for Lent?
A common question this time of year for Catholics. And, yes I am Catholic.
Some would say Irish Catholic.
Which is why I know & love this little diddy here:
Silly, but a slightly serious too, it reminds us to keep things light.
I’ve given up all sorts of things in years past: alcohol, chocolate, swearing, interrupting, t.v. a few nights a week, my time to help others, etc. But, a few years back I tried something new. I decided go more internal and in the hopes it would make my external life happier and healthier. Inspired by the Irish philosophy above I gave up worrying.
I didn’t overthink it. Just jumped in.
So, for 40 days (the the approximate length of Lent) I did my best to give less time to worry, to quell the noise of my mind when it went in to panic response mode over little things. Slowly, slowly, I loosened my grip on how I thought things should be day to day and began to embrace the way things were without me attempting to control them.
What happened? Gifts beyond belief!
By letting go I was able to let so much goodness in.
Just by giving myself this simple task of noticing when I was worried, I began to notice how much I did it. (Way more than I thought!). And, I gave myself permission to just put it down. I mean ya gotta keep your Lent promise, right?
Bottom line, I had no idea I was causing myself so much strife.
What began as a kind of silly experiment soon became a great gift and created space for more light to get in.
Sure I struggled at first. Thought everything just might fall apart if I wasn’t “concerned” about this or that at every moment.
Worrying was like a go-to familiar MO for me. It felt weird to not do it. But like anything else it got easier as I kept at it.
Soon I felt I could breathe more deeply. Smile more freely.
My mind became more clear. My energy levels rose and I found myself enjoying each day more.
Nothing in my life was different expect for what went on between my two ears. Less worry. More light. Simply serene.
Before I knew it I even found myself sleeping better. An insomniac for years, this brought immeasurable amounts of relief.
Why hadn’t I done this years ago?
This letting go of worry thing worked so well I continued to practice it well after Lent was over. More often than not, what I realized as my days played out was that things worked out just as they should without any assistance from the opinions of my overly concerned mind.
In fact, many days and events went even better than I could have imagined, even when they took unexpected turns. This helped me transform worry into wonder (and trust in the goodness of life itself).
So, with that frame of mind I invite you to let go of whatever tends crowd your mind and heart unneccessarily. It could be worry. I t would be judgement. Maybe jealousy or even fear. Whatever it is. Just try. You really have nothing to lose. Let go and the light in!
Can you tell I’ve experimented with this idea with many of my less admireable qualities?
Cool thing is, it always brings gifts!
My suggestion. Just focus on one thing.
And let me know how it goes. I’d love to share stories, be inspired by you and cheer you on!
And it’s okay to be unsure exactly where it will lead you. It’s part of the process. This isn’t about being perfect. It’s just about lightening up, and in doing so hopefully bringing more light into our own world and those of others too.
Need some time to let this marinate and clear your mind? Or maybe just to let go of some tension and stress?
Try this yoga practice I’ve included for you here. It’ll make you feel lighter and brighter!
Here’s to enjoying your life & ALL GOOD THINGS my friends!
XOXO,
Mary
