'Something' for Lent

I don't tend to do 'something' for lent  - It's usually such a busy time of year for me that it often passes me by.
Some friends give up chocolate, others give up tea, coffee or even diet coke. Some even give up Facebook!


But this year, I have decided to do 'something'.

My word for the year is 'Thankfulness', and I've been trying to write down/make a note of what I'm thankful for at least once a week.
I've just put them in my thankful book - one I've set aside for my thankful notes, and it's quite a list already!

What I've found is, once you start looking for the good, you start to let cynicism and the grumps go.

I'm like a lot of people - nine people can say nice things to me, but my brain will go to the one who said something unkind, and in a day where five wonderful things have happened - my mind will lock on the one thing that was bad - forgetting the good.

I want to do 'something' about this.

So - for lent I won't actually be giving 'something' up!

But I will be doing 'something'.

I'll be making a note of what I'm thankful for every day, concentrating on the good things rather than the bad stuff. Intentionally only doing what I have to do to deal with bad stuff (You can't just ignore it and hope it goes away can you!), but I'll try to choose not to dwell on it. Instead I will try to dwell on the things I am thankful for. On some days this will be an act of will - living with two chronic pain conditions tends to put you in a dark mindset. But I'm determined.......

But in doing that, I'll be attempting to give up that 'woe is me' attitude that hits us all from time to time, and the habit of looking for the thinks that 'suck' instead of the things that were great. I hope it will keep cynicism at bay and add a lightness to my days too.

At the same time - I'm real. I know there will be days where it will be hard to find those things to be thankful for.

I won't post them to social media everyday - just some of them..... occasionally. Some of them will be personal, and I will keep them and ponder them in my heart.

Sometimes constant explosions of thankfulness can be hard on others who are having a tough time - I want to be thoughtful towards them too.

So quietness and not releasing my #LentThankfulness comments doesn't mean I haven't been thankful - I'm just being thoughtful.

Feel free to join my in my 'Something for Lent'.... and let me know how you got on.

I'll try to update after Easter.