The three Imp's

Many times for lent people try to give up something. I typically try to take on a challenge instead. One year I came up with one that I called "the three Imp's". At the time I used this to make myself more aware of my actions– but even today I find myself still using it to analyze how I come across to other people.

I do not want to be Impressive…

Many times we like to show off to others. Sometimes this is just to get their attention to focus on yourself– other times it is just to make yourself look better than they are. No matter what the reason, being impressive makes you appear either boastful, or insecure.

I do not want to be Imposing…

Forcing someone to do something that you want them to do is not very respectful. So often we want to "change" someone– but we need to realize that change comes from within and we cannot change them by imposing your will on them. Being imposing wastes time because you never accomplish what you want– and wastes energy because no matter what you do, you will never succeed.

…but rather be Imparting.

Being able to "share of myself" is important to me. I would like to be able to impart my knowledge and experiences to others. I know and have experienced a lot in life and would like others to know of my insights and observations.

It is difficult to try and concentrate on the final "Imp" and not fall back on the other two. However, once I was aware of them it made it easier to evaluate my actions and know if I was focusing on being Imparting.