Lent, the period of 40 days that precedes the celebration of Easter, with its origin in the early days of the Christianity. It is considered the way for all Christians to recall and renew the commitment of their baptism. This year instead of giving up my indulgences and so-called vices, just for 40 days I have chosen to do things a little different this year.

Instead of chocolate, my heel wearing ways, or indulging in my favorite past times for the next 40 days, this year I am working on a 300 days give up program!

Starting with negative self-talk, I would treat myself with love and gentleness, no more speaking to me, like I am the enemy. This lent I am giving up on the idea that I am not enough and somehow lacking, it is funny we sometimes hold on to harmful toxic thoughts that flow from the negative self-talk that we indulge in… There have been times that I have looked around in my world while comparing myself to others and felt that I have fallen short of who I needed to be and berated myself for this and this translated into more negative self-talk and more opportunity to beat up on myself. Can you see a pattern forming here one feeds the other?

Instead of giving up my heels for flats this year, I have given up on trying attaining my goals alone, for the next 300 days I am going to connect with and build an incredible network of people that we can help each other to attain our goals collectively. Not just speaking about the concept of being collaborative but really walking my talk and creating from a place of connection to go further and faster with others that share the same vision.

And finally this year I will be giving up fear, fear of being myself the one that truly honors her needs and what she truly desires, the fear of speaking my truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may make someone else or even me.

I will be giving up the fear of failure and try something bigger and brand new, I am going to stop being afraid of what could happen and jump in with both feet, so what if I get wet and end up in the deep end? Well, I can swim or learn to ask for help. I won’t let fear tell me that I don’t know what I’m doing or have me playing keep away from what I really want. So I am giving up on the fear standing in my way of showing up as the woman I truly am. I am giving up on relationships that do not serve my highest good, this means saying goodbye to people in my life who are not adding to my life as friends and they seem to be there just to fill in the numbers, if you are adding no value to my life and I am not adding to yours it is time to call it a day. In fact in the words of Queen Elsa “I am letting it all go”

A lot of people let things go in the observation of Lent and once it’s done slip right back into the things they gave up, 40 days is not enough time to build, hone and own a new habit, I have decided to see what would happen if I choose to do something different and work on a new habit for 300 days instead of 40? Also this is not about what stripping away what gives us pleasure rather a conscious giving up on the things that no longer honors the divine within all of us and I believe that this is more in keeping with what Christ would want to see rather than a cranky, chocolate free version of you that is afraid to own her destiny…. Ladies and gents it is time to give up for the next 300 days the things and habits in your world that no longer honors the divine version of you. So what are you choosing to give up for the remaining of the year?

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