Dear Reader,
What are you giving up for Lent this year?
This is a question my family and friends have been asking each other ever since I was a little kid.
If you're not familiar, Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting and giving, representing the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert.
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and leads up to the end of Holy Thursday right before Easter Sunday.
One of the popular Lenten practices is to intentionally give up something meaningful during those 40 days, as a spiritual practice of sacrifice and letting go of attachments.
I still give up something every year for Lent, but my approach to Lent continues to change and grow.
I recently shared on LinkedIn my journey and relationship with Lent, which I'd also like to share with you.
If you'd like to find out what I'm giving up for Lent, keep on reading.
And perhaps you might be inspired to join me in this practice. It's never too late to start.
Now let’s get ALIGNED…
Inspirational Quote
"Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything -- anger, anxiety, possessions -- we cannot be free."
- Thich Nhat Hanh
The Story and The Spiritual Lesson
Every year at the start of Lent, my elementary school friends and I would always ask each other:
What are you giving up for Lent?
“I’m giving up chocolates and candies!”
“I’m not going to play video games.”
“I’m giving up sodas.”
As I got older, the answers changed:
“I’m giving up fried foods.”
“I’m deleting social media from my phone.”
“I’m not going to drink coffee or anything with caffeine in it.”
I grew up thinking that Lent was only about sacrifice, giving up guilty pleasures and suffering.
But along my spiritual journey, I realized something:
Lent isn’t about giving up, but more about letting go.
Letting go of attachments.
Letting go of habits that don’t serve me.
Letting go of unconscious behaviors that stop me from being who I want to be.
And then I came to understand something else:
Once I start letting go, I clear a pathway for my heart to be more open.
Letting go leads to letting in.
Letting in a deeper connection to all of life.
Letting in new ideas and behaviors for living in greater integrity and congruence.
Letting in the awareness that my heart was speaking to me.
The season of Lent has become a practice of deepening my own connection so that I can listen more intentionally to the ways my heart is calling me forward.
I still give up things for Lent.
This year, I’m giving up TikTok, X and even Bluesky.
And with the time I’ve spent scrolling through these different social media, I’ve made a choice to:
Read some books that I’ve been wanting to read for some time.
Take on online course with Dr. Joe Dispenza.
Deepen my spiritual practice.
Letting go >> leads to >> letting in.
Being quiet and being still are great ways to start letting go, so that you can listen with an open heart.
If you’d like a practice for this season of Lent, I encourage you to take a deep breath, be still and ask yourself every morning:
In what ways is your heart calling you forward today? 💖
Your Call to Action
For your coaching assignment for this week, take a moment to consider whether you'd like to participate in this Lenten practice.
- Is there something you'd like to let go for this next month? This could be one habit that doesn't serve you, one activity that feels draining, or one routine that takes up more energy than you'd like to give.
- If you did let that go, what would you like to replace it with and let in? You see, when you create space, it's better to be intentional with what you want, otherwise the space gets filled in by other people's priorities or your old habits.
- What's one baby step you can take to get started? All it takes for this practice is focus on one day at a time.
I'd love to hear if you are deciding to join me in this practice, or if you're already doing this.
Reply to this email and let me know. Let's support each other!
Abundant Blessings and Namaste.
Abundant Good News and Notes
You're Invited to Join The Abundant Good Journey: If you're looking to be in spiritual community with other like-hearted people, I'd love for you to consider joining the Abundant Good Journey. Every month we gather on zoom to delve into topics that deepen your practices and allow you to bring greater focus and intentionality to your life, aligned with your heart's highest desire. Our next gathering of the Abundant Good Journey happens on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 9:30am Pacific Time. The topic is "Beyond Upper Limits." To learn more about the Abundant Good Journey, click here.
Connect with me on LinkedIn: As part of my Lenten practice, I've decided to spend time every day posting my latest thoughts, inspirational quotes and spiritual guidance on LinkedIn. I'd love to connect with you. Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn.
Thanks for reading ALIGNED!
If you have any questions or want to share what you thought about this newsletter, hit reply and let me know.
Abundant Blessings,
Joselito Laudencia
Spiritual Life Coach, Teacher, Speaker
Author, The Creative Impulse: Answering the Highest Calling of Your Heart
www.abundantgood.com
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