My Five Lenten Resolutions…

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras.  Traditionally, the days leading up to Mardi Gras have been filled with sin and debauchery.  People drink as much as they can and expose themselves in the most inappropriate ways.  All of this is done with the idea on the Wednesday following, i.e., Ash Wednesday, it all comes to a sharp end.  Thereafter, the Lenten season begins and lasts for forty days, to represent the forty days of Jesus fasting in the desert. 

Lenten tradition holds that Catholics should sacrifice during this season.  In particular, Catholics are encouraged to give some excess or bad habit that they have.  There are many standards that people give-up for the Lent.  The Church holds that no one should eat meat on Friday.  (For me, this is not really a sacrifice since I love fish, especially the cheap fish they sell at Long John Silver’s.)  Others cut down on chocolate, drinking, television, or eating.  These I don’t really think are vices I have, (all except eating in general which I probably could do not stop.)

Below, I have listed the five vices I am considering giving-up as a part of Lenten season. 

1. Yelling at the Television

Every morning, I watch the national news channels in order to get caught up on what is going on in the world.  I lack the patience to making it through the morning commercials, and, inevitably, I move through the channels to see if one of the happens to be on while the others are showing commercials.  I always seemed to land on Fox News, listening to the “fair and balanced” channel give its own right-wing slant to the news.  I always get frustrated so that I end up yelling at the television.  I have decided to change this bad habit by seeing the channel for what it is, an entertainment channel.

2. Understanding that All People May Not Share My Interests

I have very little tolerance for people who do not share the same interests as I do.  Accordingly, unless you have something interesting to say, I generally do not give the time of day to you.  Needless to say, I do not do well at parties or other social gatherings.  I have decided to feign an interest in what others have to say.

3. To Become More Focused

I have a hard time on focusing on tasks, especially when they require long term planning.  For example, I am trying to write a novel.  In order to write the novel with any success requires planning and focus.  Without planning and focus, I could spend my time vegging out in front of the television and mindless surfing the internet.  Accordingly, I have decided that I will write the novel and do other important things while watching television or mindless surfing the net.

4. Not Make Excuses For Things

I have tendency to make excuses for things happening.  For example, I am often late because other people are driving on the road too slow or the traffic lights have been timed against me.  From now on, I will just admit to my mistakes.  If I am late, I will just admit that I did not care enough about the meeting to get there on time. 

5. Stop Trying to Improve Myself

Over the years I have tried to improve myself.  I have gone on multiple diets.  My favorite was the cabbage soup diet.  I have vowed to exercise more, with little success.  I decided to get up an hour or two earlier to get a quicker start to the day.  All of these things I tried without any success at all.  In fact, usually I go down in flames in two weeks.  I have decided this year to stop trying to change myself and just to accept myself as the rotten individual that I am.

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