One Little Elephant

Commenter Gina asks: What are the fifteen failings you identified for Lent?

Well, I'm not quite ready to lay bare my entire soul on the net, but the three of the fifteen I chose to work on this Lent are dependence on tv, unnecessary web surfing, and my soda pop addiction.

Relinquishing daytime websurfing and email checking

Very difficult. Disconnected the internet and hung the cord on a ladder-only-accessable curtain rod to reduce temptation. Day one was a hard day. But in the last three days I've editted 10 chapters, written two new scenes, identified and solved a timeline problem within my novel, done a ton of laundry, and had a hot meal waiting for the family in a clean kitchen every day when they got home. I feel so encouraged today I was thrilled to throw that cord over the curtain rod at 9:30 am.

Eschewing TV

We don't do tv before 3 pm (a gift of a Lent a dozen years past), so I didn't even notice it was missing during the day. But in the evening I NOTICED. For the last several years I'd taken to turning on the TV for the evening news and letting it run until bedtime. I rarely just sat and watched it. Instead I used it as background noise for couch potato activities like reading, playing free cell, net surfing, etc. Sounds harmless, right? It's not. In just the three days since we turned it off I've experienced the desire to attend meetings, Jazzercise, walk the dogs, and spend considerably more time interacting with the kids. Amazing how removing a vice allows good things to rush in to fill the void.

Surrendering the Dr. Pepper

I'm in withdrawal!!!! Though I admit I eased the symptoms considerably by giving up most things containing High Fructose Corn Syrup at New Year. I've been drinking real sugar Dr. Pepper for the most part since then, so I'd already gotten through the worst of the withdrawal headache in January - three days of blistering pain. I've also eased the digestive withdrawal symptoms enormously by drinking lots and lots of water. And since exposure to refined sugar or sugar water (like fruit juices) increases my cravings for soda pop, I'm substituting real fruit for juice and avoiding refined sugars - adding a virtue to combat the vice.

That's where it's at for now. Now it's time to write novels, so I'm off the net.


Something that's helping me write today: Lent

Today Christians around the world (New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sydney) will feast and frolic, imbibe and indulge. Tomorrow Lent begins. I confess Lent is one of my favorite times of the year. It's a life boat of hope in my personal sea of hedonism.

The promises made to put aside vices and embrace virtues at New Year are made to self. And those blessed with strong self-discipline probably have great success with New Year resolutions. But those of us born with self-discipline the size of a housefly, and just as easily led astray with a little sugar water, don't find New Year resolutions nearly as productive.

Promises made only to myself aren't enough to keep me 'resolved'. I require more. Apparently I require a promise be made directly to the Alpha Omega of the Entire Universe before I consider it sufficiently binding.

So Thank God for Lent! Literally.

Lent is a time of penance, of suffering offered in repentance of sin. For me, giving up fast food binges, pointless net surfing, and couch potato comas isn't easy. But there's also joy in the release from vice, a swell of hope that turns into a tidal wave of well-being as the weeks progress. And, despite post-Lenten backsliding, there's always long term improvement, some degree of permanent relinquishing of vice.

Last night I attempted to list my failings. I managed to jot 15 items before being distracted by junk food and tv. Five of those 15 were things that directly impact my ability to write novels. The remaining 10 impact my ability to keep writing novels well into old age. Today I'll select a few of those 15 vices to relinquish for Lent.

How about you? Do you have vices that are keeping you from reaching your goals? What are you doing to clear your path to success?

Something that's helping me write today: This quote from Scott Reed: This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to it - changes everything.