Gentle visitors, we have arrived at about the mid-point of Lent, a season observed by the Romish and others. Pilgrim that he is, your humble Contributor marks the season by trudging along with his fellow lowly cohorts in the faith. But, at about this point, his rebellious nature begins to bray and stay put like senor burro, burdened and halfway up the cold, desert sierra.
The issue, your humble Contributor tells himself, is the whole notion of self-denial so tied to Lent. It seems such an out-dated concept, what with the new science of self-affirmation. Why, he asks himself, continue writing the same old negative self-scripts for yourself when you could be writing positive self-scripts, by which you might take a "healthy 'selfish' or self-oriented route in your life so that you can 'let go' of people who drain your resources and keep you from experiencing full personal health?" Goodness, it sounds positively wonderful!
The first step, of course, is visualizing your healthy/selfish self, free from burdensome family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Visualize your own private magic omnibus, happily tooling along and tooting the horn .... Do you see it? Yes. Now, visualize tossing these resource-draining others to the curb. Off you go! Farewell, burdensome baggage.
Next step, practice assorted self-affirmations:
- "I am the best friend I have!"
- "I am the brightest, most capable, creative, intelligent, giving, loving, handsome, relaxed, and enjoyable person I know!"
- "I would have had nice teeth, if I had proper orthodontia in my youth!"
Whoops! Already slipping into another negative self-script. Let's try the next step: giving up whatever is non-self-affirming.
- Give up doing the dishes -- the source of much pain and anger.
- Give up admonishing yourself for your failures of will - "failure" is no longer in your personal vocabulary -- everything is now a "success", even those successes that would land you in debt, prison, or Siberia for the winter.
- Give up giving up things -- give in and live a little -- you're worth it!
There. Now, your humble Contributor finds himself feet up, consuming a quart of bubbly, flavored fructose, a tub of popped and larded corn, and a entertainingly vacuous program. He says to himself, "Self, thou art affirmed."
Sadly, he will probably return to the same, tired old self-script on the morrow -- a man, once again, in denial.
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