A little lent for our souls.

Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Easter where Christians observe prayer, fasting and charity. Several generations ago, focus was on the abstinence from alcohol and meat. It has evolved to include themes which are more relevant now – such as avoidance of social media, concern for the environment, exercising etc.

At a deeper level, what does it mean to practice lent? It enables us to reveal a better self by focusing on the essential and truth. Let me explain with an example. Why is ‘attar’ so fragrant and long lasting? Because it is prepared through a long process of distillation. This process removes the ‘excess’ and the frills, enabling us to uncover what is truly meaningful. This is the precise reason why we enjoy the serenity of the countryside far away from the city bustle.

We can also practice lent at the behavioral level by being more mindful of what we do. We are prone to ‘excess’ of toxic behaviors: anger, intolerance, impatience, ignorance, boastfulness, worries, laziness, pride or the need to control. Not only do these eat away into our energy and attention, they build up high levels of cortisol in our blood, a significant contributor to major lifestyle diseases. And more importantly, it detracts us from enjoying the ‘essence’ – the present.

An important question here would be – doesn’t controlling our behaviors deter us from being our true self? Not really, by being mindful of how our behaviors become ‘dysfunctional’ by negatively impacting others and then using this feedback to better flex our behaviors, we enhance ourselves.

Here’s a few things we can do to practice behavioral lent :

• Practice Mindfulness – Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware of one’s thoughts and emotions in a non – judgmental way on a moment-to-moment basis. A guided or unguided 5 minutes of mindfulness is a great way to start your day. There are several apps which provide guided mindfulness activities.  
• Be Compassionate – Compassion creates a space for openness and trust, the foundations for meaningful relationships. Start by being compassionate towards yourself, be forgiving and kind. One can practice compassion towards others by listening more wholly and being more cognizant of their world.  

• Express Gratitude – Research indicates that consciously practicing gratitude has a positive impact on our wellness and happiness. The “Three blessings” exercise is a scientifically proven exercise to feeling more grateful and happy. This simple exercise involves reflecting on/ writing the three things that you are really grateful for, at the end of the day.  
• Be Gritty – Grit is defined as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Through her extensive research, Angela Duckworth has proven that talent and intelligence/ IQ being equal, some individuals accomplish more than others because of ‘grittiness’. It is ability to forego short term pleasures for the accomplishment of long - term goals. 

Sources :

https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/what-is-mindfulness-definition/

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/02/18/martin-seligman-gratitude-visit-three-blessings/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/margaretperlis/2013/10/29/5-characteristics-of-grit-what-it-is-why-you-need-it-and-do-you-have-it/#48a033c94f7b

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-23406/10-easy-ways-to-cultivate-compassion.html