Those of us who grew up in families of practicing Catholics quickly associated Lent to the time of year when we would have to give up something that we enjoyed. Whether we gave up sweets – or a more popular one, today; Netflix – it would be on our minds for 40 days. However, as we got older, and perhaps went through Catechism, we began to understand why we give something up over the 40-day period. It is not about picking something easy, but truly making a sacrifice. Also, in the process, we all hopefully came to the realization that in the grand scheme of things, what we sacrificed is something that we should live without. I do not think that many people consider that aspect of Lent. We tend to be shortsighted with what we give up; both temporarily giving up something that we do not care too deeply about and also doing it just because we feel like we have to.

Many people only see Lent as a time of temporary sacrifice, but perhaps we can start treating it as a time of bettering ourselves. Stay with me here: what if we all took a hard look at ourselves and constructively observed our flaws? That is not to say that we should start ripping ourselves to shreds, but genuinely think, how can I make myself a better person? I will be the first to admit that when I started Lent, I was unsure what to give up and when I finally decided, it was to stop cursing (sorry, Mom). I really started thinking about what I was giving up, though, and realized that my “sacrifice” should not be temporary, and while that seems fairly obvious – it struck me that we do not look beyond these 40 days out of a 365-day year. It is high time that we stop taking the easy way out and start using Lent as a stepping-stone for long-term self-improvement.

I am a strong proponent of the notion that it is never too late to start something, even if others started it days, weeks or months ago. Even though we are several weeks into Lent, if you have an idea of what you can give up not just until Easter, but rather for the long-term, you should go for it. The prospect of self-improvement is not exclusively Catholic either, so if you are not religious or you belong to a different faith, now is as good a time as any to reconsider the attitudes or qualities of your life that you can leave behind in favor of a more positive outlook. Who knows; you may surprise yourself by how natural the process is for you!