Give it up!

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

While my mom likes to tell the story of her childhood friend giving up carrots for Lent, the true spirit of the tradition is to give up something that will be a sacrifice or struggle to do without, something we normally think we need, for the six weeks prior to Easter.

When we think of fasting now, we generally think of food. It has lately become trendy and even considered "healthy" to go on a fast (or "cleanse"), at least here in LA.

I don't think this is quite what the 4th Century Christians had in mind...

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Yesterday I received an aptly titled article in the mail, where Rev. Dr. Paul R. Smith writes:

"The original idea of a fast was to train yourself to take control of your bodily appetites, and keep them from controlling you. No one is in actual control of his or her life who cannot say 'no' to something they want to do. But most of us have allowed the majority of our appetites to control us. . . we think we have no real choice but to go ahead and indulge."

 Are we really in control if we can't stay out of the restaurant in the first place??

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I have given up different things for Lent in the past, and everything has revolved around food: Chocolate, soda, ice cream, candy, baked goods, fast food and caffeine.

This year, when I thought hard about what would be a real sacrifice and would have the greatest impact on my daily life, I decided to give up TV.

This will be a huge struggle for me. I am currently only semi-employed and work from home, so the majority of my day is spent alone in my living room. And while food is something I can logically think about in terms of calories, fat and fiber, TV is more abstract and passive, which makes it easy to overlook the repercussions.

I can, with conviction, understand that eating donuts every day will make me gain weight; it's hard to elicit any tangible consequences when tempted to watch TV. I have been known to turn on the TV in the morning while I eat my breakfast and, knowing full well I have things to do, sit there watching all day, accomplishing nothing.

Help!

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In his article, Smith goes on to write:

"Some of the things [we crave] . . . are clearly destructive, others are good things. It doesn't really matter. We have a responsibility to control them all. . . . The clear and certain evidence that we are not healthy is any situation in which the control goes the other way - our bodies overrule our minds and spirits." [my emphasis]

This Lenten season I am going to take back control over my body when it comes to watching TV. Instead of zoning out I will:

• Exercise first thing in the morning instead of stalling and avoiding it
• Walk to a coffee shop or the library to work instead of being distracted at home
• Read books I have been meaning to read
• Listen to new music to avoid a lonely house
• Pay attention to what I eat because I am not distracted by the TV
• Write about it here!

Whether or not you are a spiritual person, Lent is a perfect time to take inventory of your life and, for six weeks at least, win back control over one unhealthy habit.

Are you giving up anything for Lent? How will it impact your daily life?