my lenten promise, part 900

some of you who also read nerd-alert CIN (a web board for improvisers in Chicago) may already know this, but this year when lent started, i made a prom to myself for the running period. got a lot of neat private and public responses on what others are doing, and i realized i didn't talk about it here.

here's what i posted there and why, for other pals, family, and readers...
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whew.
okay, so one fun thing that's a residual left-over from my italio-catholic upbringing is that i like to give things up for lent. for me, it's just a nice self-challenge to check-in and be the best me i can be, or at least a better me i can be.

in early years, it was just kiddish hard tasks:
*in 5th grade, i think i gave up chocolate anything/candy.
*in 6th grade, i gave up pop.
*in 7th grade, i gave up chewing gum. hooo boy, was this hard in 7th grade. i mean, i think that's what you do, primarily, that year.

in high school and beyond, it got headier:
*one year, i think it was junior year, i gave up lying of any kind. this sounds stupid, and i'm no lie-bot, but i mean, quick, white lies too. like - "who are you on the phone with?" - "no one!", "have you done your homework?" - "yes, almost!", etc. no lies. no nothing. it really reframed the way i thought for the better for the rest of time, whether i kept it up or not.

this year, i want a good one, so i'm ultimate tasking myself by not-talking-shit-about-anything. one friend chastized me for this goal, arguing that i am already positive enough for his liking, which made me happy. but, i don't think i realize how i might do it just offhandedly, and that's not ideal, so though this is something i hope i don't do too much of anyway, i'd like to try it ALL the way. only positives! mental challenge! i'm not even rolling my eyes when some nutbag relative comes up and i'm biting my tongue about what-doesn't-work or who did the i'm-a-little-teapot-freeze-bit last night. who cares? the audience loves teapots! we're all people. i love people! i have 45 DAYS TO LOVE THE SHIT OUT OF PEOPLE. 45 LONG ASS DAYS!

this is why i'm not cathlo.
this is the only reason
(opposite).

improv friend challenge: what's your lenten prom-o? (bits allowed, but reals are just as good.)
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update: now i'm nearly two weeks in, and i broke it once this week pretty bad. after i broke it, i screamed "LLLLLLLLENNNT!", and i'm trying to get back on the horse. it's sunday. shake it off. sunday's a day off anyway. back in the saddle.

what did you give up?
or what are you changing?
play.