Stop making broken promises

Lenten Promises

Let me start by saying that I understand and respect other cultures. With that being said, I hope that this post can be eye opening for those who feel the same. Now I got it off my chest... I'm Catholic. 

My super cute Abuelita and Abuelito at their wedding 

Not a Bible thumping, preaching in your face Catholic. I'm probably not even a great example of what 'Catholic' is supposed to look like. I will tell you, my grandparents came to the U.S. from El Salvador and they needed hope. Both Guillermo and Emilia (my beautiful grandparents) grew up in very, very, very, VERY Catholic families. That's what they knew and wanted to instill the same beliefs to their children. My Mom put me in a private Catholic school growing up (the education wasn't the best, but I met some of my best friends there) and I quickly realized the answer to any question resulted in some form of; 'Jesus loves me & stop sinning'. Beyond the classroom, I personally wanted something to believe in, something bigger than what the world has to offer. Some say that they find themselves being spiritual, but cannot get behind the ideals of any specific faith. For me, all I knew were the ideals of Catholicism. I am 110% behind certain ideals and others, I question. At the end of the day, I want to be a better person, surround myself around good people, have morals and faith in something bigger than what is in front of me. 

Lent. Lent is a time for Catholics to 'give up' a bad habit for 40 days. This represents the idea that Jesus gave his life for our sins to be forgiven. We must 'give up' something bad in our lives or introduce a positive habit in our lives to bring us closer to God. Now at the end of the 40 days doesn't mean we win a prize, it just means that we can understand humility, patience and our will to change for the better. Imagine this being a time for 'New Year's Resolutions'! Most people ditch those Resolutions around mid-February anyway, so here's a time to restart. When I was younger, I would give up soda or chocolate. Now that I'm an adult, I felt like I should take on a bit more responsibility. Two years ago, I decided letters to 40 people who have influenced my life. I mailed all 40!!! 

This year, I decided to make a daily checklist. A great man named Michael Jackson once said, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror/ I'm asking him to change his ways/ No message could have been any clearer/ If you want to make the world a better place/ Take a look at yourself and make a change". 

All I want to do this Lenten season is to bring better habits in my life for the future. Start small for a bigger impact down the road (like investments!) So here's my list, let me know what you think, let me know what you have up this season or let me know what your New Year's Resolution was and how you can bring it back into your life today! 

                                                 Be more meaningful
                          Time is valuable, spend it with those who matter 
                                                 Never stop learning
                                                       Love more 
                                                       Give more 
                                           Work smarter, not harder 
                                    Make an effort not to flake on plans
                                                       Plan better 
                                         Learn how to forgive & move on 
                            Have a better attitude about life because it's too short  Be happy with who you are and trust that God has a bigger plan for you (patience)