Ash Wednesday And Lent

Yesterday’s Fat Tuesday is behind us and today is Ash Wednesday, the traditional beginning of Lent. Lent lasts for 40 days and is a time when many Christians remember the 40 days the Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry. Most religions have times similar to Lent when people put a little more focus on prayer, fasting, and other spiritual practices. Growing up as a good little Catholic boy, Lent was a time of giving up candy and eating fish on Fridays. In today’s world there is less emphasis on giving up sweets and other things and more emphasis on doing something more positive. For some it may be a renewed effort to have a spiritual practice. For others it may mean doing some volunteer work or simply trying to be a better person. Whatever your personal beliefs, I think it is good to have times in our lives where we stop, pause, and reflect on our lives. How are we living? Are we doing good things and making a positive difference in our world. Are we doing out inner work to become the best version of who we are? Are we in touch with something bigger than ourselves? Do we see more in life than simply what’s in front of us? Do we have something or someone that we believe in that drives us to inner transformation, goodness, and love? Lent can be a time where we give ourselves an honest performance evaluation and make positive changes to mature and reach a higher consciousness.