Ity, Alaine giving up NEGATIVITY for Lent
LENT, THE period of self-reflection and unyielding sacrifice, begins today, Ash Wednesday. The 40-day period marks the time Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness and is usually a time when Christians give up things they found pleasurable as they reflect on Christ’s ultimate sacrifice leading into the Easter period.
For comedian Ian ‘Ity’ Ellis, toxic words are what he will be giving up for Lent, as he aims to usher in more positivity in
‘It (the book) is aptly titled, appropriate and fitting to start that journey of speaking positive words constantly over one’s life. It’s really going to take me on a spiritual journey down the path of eliminating toxic words from my life.’
his life and that of his family. The businessman and event promoter, who is a practising Christian, told The Gleaner that he is currently reading the book, The Forty-Day Word Fast: A Spiritual Journey to Eliminate Toxic Words From Your Life by Tim Cameron, and will be on a ‘word fast’, beginning today.
“It (the book) is aptly titled, appropriate and fitting to start that journey of speaking positive words constantly over one’s life. It’s really going to take me on a spiritual journey down the path of eliminating toxic words from my life. These words do nothing for you. They don’t inspire you, strengthen you or encourage you to do well, and so I will be using this opportunity to just speak more positive things over my life,” Ellis said.
He added, “Hopefully, if I do that over the 40 days, it becomes a habit. Habit forms anywhere between 18 to 66 days, psychologists say, so if I continue that over the 40 days then new words may [form] in my mind that will speak light and life. So words are my focus this Lent because words are powerful.” Pointing out also that the period is usually one where Jamaicans traditionally give up meat, he said his wife has already hinted that they need to buy fish, so he knows no meat for Lent is a tradition his family will continue this year.
Singer Alaine, who is also a Christian, says she gave up red meat some time ago and so she has been on an extended Lent. But like Ity, she too will be going on a mind-cleansing journey, revealing that she wants to cut herself off from anything that is spiritually draining. “I will be sacrificing negative mindset this season. So I will be doing away with any thoughts of doubt, any thoughts that limit me or that prevents me from seeing how blessed and favoured I am. I am choosing to think encouraging thoughts about myself and others and kicking the rest of the things to the kerb,” she said.
She said shifting one’s mindset is particularly important when one considers the mental impact of COVID-19. “The COVID fatigue is real and can be very draining to our spirits and our minds, so at this time it would be very helpful for us to shift our minds and our focus to something that is above all the noise and that which is perfect and wholesome and healing,” said Alaine.
CUTTING MEAT CONSUMPTION
Popular media personality and attorney-at-law, Khadine ‘Miss Kitty’ Hylton, said she’ll be exercising more patience and cutting down on her consumption of meat for the Lenten season. Miss Kitty said just like Christ made selfless sacrifices for the human race, this period is a time when human beings must challenge themselves to be better. “In the same way Jesus give up his life for us, we too can make sacrifices and elevate ourselves and do what we [have] to do so that at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights we can say, ‘Well, this is what I have done’ and see how you feel. We all have habits and do certain things and say certain things or get involved in certain things that do not serve us, and we need to drop them,” she said.
Habit creation is also big for Miss Kitty this season. “They say a habit is created within 21 days of doing it and so I normally use the 40 days as a way to get rid of something that doesn’t serve me well, doesn’t serve my soul well, doesn’t serve my body well or serve my wanting to progress or elevate. I think for this season I will be giving up meat, cutting down on the meat and also trying to exercise more patience and being calmer. That is what I want to work on and be committed to. Discipline, commitment, dedication and consistency is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary,” she said.
Like Ity, Miss Kitty and Alaine, Professor Donna Hope will be using the time for introspection. “We have been living in a Lenten period with COVID-19 and so we have had to give up a lot of the things we would normally engage in, and so this Lent I will just continue to do a lot of the things I was already doing. So I will continue my period of selfreflection, spiritual engagement. I am writing poetry and I am putting together a book of poetry I plan to publish in March, and so I will be doing a lot of writing in the period. I will continue spending time with my family. I have a garden that I take care of and I have a dog so I will be doing things that give me joy and working within the restrictions imposed on us,” she said.