Lent is an annual season of fasting in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays to Easter. It can be something that you love or something about yourself that you want work on.

For Lent, I gave up initiating quality time again because I haven't done that in three years.

It was eye-opening the last time realizing how many one-sided friendships I had and the toxic energy it was building up. I've been feeling empty or beating myself up when people can't make plans and I didn't want to fall back in that trap again.

I gave up asking people out for 40 days, and some pretty great things happened.

1. I put all of my newfound time into trying new things.

I can't even describe how hard it was to keep off my phone. My days would literally be me just going to work then coming home and working on school or watching tv. I learned that I can actually bake a whole cake. I tried rowing at the gym, and I began enjoying long drives just to pray or vent to myself. I've never felt so free.

2. I got quarantined so I really had to put in time.

Right before the halfway mark, I got a stay-at-home order with the rest of the country to a new lifestyle of social distancing and no toilet paper from a pandemic. Now isolating was not much of an option. There is so much time to over eat, and I refuse to gain weight while on lockdown so I bought a pair of dumbbells to add to my workouts since gyms are considered non-essential. Now, I'm into staying active when there is nothing else to do.

3. In return, I actually got asked out!

Did I tell people ahead of time? Only less than 10 (but it still counts!), and it didn't really increase the outings as much as check-ins, which spoke volumes. I'm happy to say that I wasn't socially deprived. I got to celebrate a friend's engagement, host a sleepover, give myself great bangs on the first try, put in more devotional time when I catch a break and partake in a campaign rally. I even took myself out to Olive Garden just to treat myself. A detox had to happen for me to put myself first for once.

This was definitely a fun season. I grew into doing what I love, even if I'm doing it solo.

I dare you to try it.