what to give up for Lent

we had a guest priest a couple of sundays ago and he tried to help us figure out what to give up for Lent but after listening to him, i was ready to give him up.

here's what he said:

1. that this newfangled trend of not giving something up but adding something - to benefit others - is all well and good but still. we need to suffer a little. Christ did, we should. period.
2. give up something that'll hurt but nothing that'll hurt too much. (really? the cross didn't hurt too much?)
3. don't give up something that will benefit you personally, like, say, smoking. or eating candy. or any of the other things that everybody always gives up. ok, so i get that.
4. don't give up something that you need to give up even after Lent is over, like a bad health habit (see #3 above). really? cleaning up your act, starting on Ash Wednesday and lasting into the future, isn't something you should do? 
5. don't give up something that somebody else thinks you should give up. huh?
6. don't give up something that you think you should give up. double huh?
7. don't give up whatever it was you gave up last year because obviously, if you need to give it up again this year, you clearly didn't permanently give it up last year. huh? what about #4?
8. don't forget that it is in giving up that we gain. (ok. but what about #3?)
9. don't give up something that everybody else will necessarily know about. be humble. don't broadcast.
10. remember, whatever you give up, you are setting an example for others.

so, yeah.

i'm giving him up.