Lent starts this Wednesday, March 1st.

What is Lent?

According to the Catholicism page on About.com:

"Lent is the 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday and one of the major liturgical seasons of the Catholic, Orthodox, and certain Protestant churches."

Most Catholics consider Lent to be from Ash Wednesday until Holy Thursday. I practice this time all the way to Easter because it is the whole reason for the season. I like to stay focused all the way to that important celebration.

To me, Lent is all about preparation for Easter, the betterment of your own self, and reconnecting with Christ's vision for all of us.

The preparation for Easter is a tough one for me. Like anyone else, I am super busy on a daily basis. I am not the perfect catholic woman, and I don't go to church every Sunday like I should. During these six weeks, I really try to focus some part of my daily schedule on my faith and relationship with God.

The betterment of yourself is probably what the majority of people think when they hear about Lent. Usually, people think of giving up pop or sweets. They try to delete some unhealthy behavior that will be better for their physical bodies.

As I grow older and develop a stronger faith, I want to focus on improving my mind and soul. I have decided to abstain from social media for the six weeks. I want to spend less time scrolling on and on, just wasting time. Also, the amount of unnecessary drama that comes from social media is absurd to me. I don't have enough time in the day to worry about what people are commenting and spreading on Facebook and Twitter. I also don't need more stress than I already have in my day to day life.

I hope during these six weeks that I will use my time to study or rediscover a lost hobby. I have been reminded that life is not short for any of us, and it will end in a moment. Therefore, I want to utilize the time that I have now, live in the present, and be off the grid for a while.

While I have fewer distractions from social media, I also plan on strengthening my relationship with Christ. I will make it a priority in my life again, and I will strive to resemble the great qualities that used to be eminent in my life prior to college. We all have become so busy that we forget to sit back and appreciate what we have. I want to see the beauty in the sunrise again, and I want to be able to sit outside and breathe without being pulled in so many different directions.

Christian or not, what will you be doing for the next six weeks to improve your life?