Easter is early this year and we are already in Lent. For Christians and non-Christians this can be a time of reflection and preparation for Spring. 
A lot of people give something up that they enjoy during the seven weeks of Lent. Popular options include chocolate, alcohol, coffee, and sugar in drinks. Giving things up can be a useful way of raising your awareness of habits you have got into. You may even have stopped noticing the thing you enjoy. You have just been eating or drinking it in a trance.
Most years I give up eating chocolate in all of it’s delicious forms. It is not easy and I try not to substitute something else to fill the gap. I can tell you that the first sniff of an Easter egg is so powerful that I can feel the saliva forming in my mouth!
A powerful action to take during Lent is to give, not just money but your other resources such as your time. If you have given up your daily shop-bought coffee, can you give the money you have saved to a good cause? Could you give some of your time to volunteer for a charity or help children to read at your local school?
A great initiative that I intend to support this year is to give toiletries to a women’s refuge. Perhaps there is a food bank in your local area that you could give some items to.
Our brains are hard-wired for kindness. When we do something for others it is good for our own mental and emotional health. So whether you give up or give, you will receive something back for you efforts. What will you do?
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