What I'm Giving Up For Lent

Lent is something that I was always taught in primary school to take very seriously and that involved giving up a type of food that I loved, which I always did and I know a lot of people that still do. But last year I thought I'd take a different approach.

Last Year

I was planning on giving up food (probably chocolate) that I loved, both for the tradition and added health benefits, when I had the idea of giving up a behaviour instead. I'd read online somewhere that if you make a conscious effort to avoid being negative for a month then your mindset would become more positive in general. I decided to apply this idea to Lent, and every time I was about to complain or say something negative, I just didn't. With 46 days of avoiding negativity, I found that when Lent finished, I'd obtained a healthier and happier mindset about everything. Obviously I can't guarantee this would work for everyone, and I definitely still have days where I'm in a bad mood and complain sometimes, but overall I'm still feeling the benefits of it!

This Year

Since I was so pleased with last year's idea, I thought I'd take a similar approach this time, so I've given up ungratefulness! That isn't to say that I don't usually appreciate what I have and what others do for me, but I think even the best of us have some days where we could be a bit more appreciative. As I get older I'm learning to appreciate my parents more and more by the second, and I need them to know that. There are so many little acts of kindness that go on each day, and I'm just aiming to make more of an effort in showing people how grateful I am, even if all it means is taking time to sit and chat to someone over a cup of tea and just remind them how thankful I am for everything they do.


I know this post is a bit different to normal, but I thought it was worth making note of it to remind myself in the future to keep remembering the little things like showing people how much you care.