I just view it the way I have always viewed it (lol):
The forty days of Lent symbolize many things in the Bible: the 40 years the Hebrews spent in the desert, the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, the 40 days Noah and his family spent--40 is the number of purification. All bad things pass away in this time of fasting (as Jesus did in the desert) and it is a special time of purification for yourself as well. In denying ourselves of things that stand between God and us, it will help us focus on God more and focus on His grace to help us through this time "in the desert" ourselves. The point of Lent is to prepare us to receive Jesus, the Risen Lord, into our hearts, and to prepare us for this climax of joy in the Christian year. For we cannot fast when the Bridegroom is with us.
