“All of man’s difficulties are caused by his inability to sit, quietly, in a room by himself.” —Blaise Pascal
The life worth living is one centered on the passions and values we hold most dear. And that is why solitude and meditation matters.
Many people go through life with no clear sense of their true values. Instead, their lives are molded by the voices that bombard them each day from the Internet, television, radio, magazines, and celebrities. Their desires are ever-changing and are quickly swept away by the newest fashion, most recent technology, or opportunity for financial gain. Their lives are no longer centered on their personal passions and values.
In contrast, firm conviction leads to an intentional life. It is not tossed about by the culture. It is built on the things you hold truest in your heart. And no new advertising campaign is able to shake it.
Meditation provides the opportunity to find that conviction. It slows our mind, calms our spirit, and centers our soul. It removes our mind from the culture of consumption that surrounds us and centers us on something greater and more fulfilling. It draws us out of the finiteness of the visible and dares to connect our souls with the invisible. It provides opportunity to identify our desires, articulate our values, and align our pursuits accordingly.
In quiet and solitude, our mind gravitates towards the more important things—the most valuable. Rarely, in times of meditation, do we dream of nicer cars, bigger closets, larger wardrobes, or more expensive watches. Instead, we naturally focus on our souls, our families, our friends, our health, our significance, and our greatest ambitions.
Another benefit of meditation is that it leads to gratitude. Gratitude leads to contentment. And a contented heart is free to pursue anything it desires.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture that preaches discontent. A society built on the foundation of consumerism must attack gratitude—only if they can sow discontent in our lives can they sell us on their new product or latest version with new improvements. But those who find gratitude in their current existence will be less influenced by those empty promises.
A grateful heart admits that there are bigger forces at play in our lives than our own accomplishments and that we are who we are today because of the sacrifice and investment of others. Gratitude grounds us and focuses our lives on others.
It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. (tweet that)
And that gratefulness quickly leads to a satisfied, simplified, focused life. More meditation. More gratitude. Better living.
Begin your own practice of meditation.
Find a quiet moment. Choose a time of day that provides opportunity for a quiet moment without distraction. This may be in the morning before your family wakes up, in the evening after they go to bed, or at some point in-between (during a lunch break, before the workday begins, or while your new baby naps). Choose a time of day that is repeatable.
Find a quiet place. Meditation can happen anywhere, but a quiet place is always best. Evaluate your surroundings for not just noise clutter, but mental clutter as well. For example, if you find it difficult to slow your mind in a messy room or in the office where you work, relocate yourself elsewhere.
Find a quiet mind. The most difficult part of meditation is learning to quiet yourself. At first, your mind will not know what to do with the silence and will fill the void with restless activity. Sometimes you need to ignore the distraction. Focus on your breathing. But other times, you’ll need to pursue the voice fighting for your attention. Over time, you’ll quickly learn the difference.
Set aside a few minutes. If you have never meditated before, start small—even 5 minutes can be very significant. If you can meditate longer, do it. I find new waves of thought to resurface every 10 minutes with each revealing a deeper level of heart evaluation.
Introduce any specific spiritual components. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, meditation holds rich benefit for your life. But if your spirituality is important to you, you may find value including specific elements in your meditation: prayer and/or sacred texts, for example.
Just like every endeavor, meditation takes time and practice. So don’t get frustrated at first. And don’t get down on yourself if you miss a day. Just try again tomorrow—or for the first time.
Karen @ Pieces of Contentment says
Another excellent post Joshua. “Gratitude leads to contentment. And a contented heart is free to pursue anything it desires.” So true.
Jordan Phoenix says
Awesome article. I think of meditation like slowing down a train — everything becomes much clearer when we’re not flying through life.
Andy Barge says
Silence and gratitude are truly amazing. Recently I have been following what Mark Divine of “Sealfit” recommended. In the morning you meditate and then afterwards you guzzle some water and as you do so you think of all the things you are grateful for. Sounds simple, but it is very effective and can have a profound effect on how you feel
Christine @ A Well Stocke Life says
I have been struggling to find the meditation that is right for me. I literally got ahold of “Meditation For Dummies” (blush) for suggestions. It has been helpful and has great ideas, but does anyone have a suggestion for how they started out? Thanks.
5 Things to Do in 5 Minutes to Prevent YOU from Shopping
http://awellstockedlife.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/5-things-to-do-in-5-minutes__to-prevent-you-from-shopping/
everlearning says
I started when a friend introduced me to Eknath Easwaran’s ‘Passage Meditation’ and have continued using it. Like all forms of meditation, it is not easy in the beginning, simply because meditation is usually not easy at first for most people. But with perseverance, it is well worth the effort! Easwaran developed an 8 Point Program (Passage Meditation) to deepen the spiritual life. Don’t be put off by the 8 points. Many of us are already doing most of them. But putting them all together is really powerful and has been a life-changer for me. Just Google ‘Eknath Easwaran Passage Meditation’ or look up his book on Amazon or B&N to get more information. Meditation is so important to the intentional life and offers all the benefits Joshua writes about above. Don’t wait! You’ll never regret making meditation part of your life!
Queen Mary says
Have you mastered sitting still yet? Two minutes. Then two minutes with a quiet mind. Let us know where you are.
Jim says
This seems to be a on time post! I’ve recently slowed down due to Holidays and Winter weather, so I’m finding that if I’m quiet first, then speak, it makes the situation go much better. And just like a bear, we need to hybernate during cold weather. lol
Jan says
Some people almost fear silence, which is a shame. Silence can be golden and so refreshing.
All the best Jan
Brittany says
I love silence. As someone who grew up in the mountains, with little city noise, I cherish the sound of nothing.
Thomas says
Wish I would have known this years before when my little, anxious mind was overwhelmed by bad circumstances and messed up. Now I do meditation at least twice a day and it quietens the mind very quickly. On the other hand, it would also be useful not to be exposed to too much distractions (maybe avoid TV/radio) during the course of the day, so the mind can keep calm. Meditation helps to establish contact and to keep in touch with the observer in us, the being, the inner power that fuels everything and is always there.
Gladys (The Pinay Mom) says
I started meditating when I was a teenager and stopped right after I got married and had kids and realize how important it is to meditate because it gives me peace of mind and remind me that life should not always in a hurry. And doing what I used to do gives me more meaningful life
Ragnar says
I’m still just starting out, and the skeptic in me keeps getting in the way from time to time, any remedy for this or does time do away with it?
Debbie says
I have been meditating with a Buddhist group for 16 years and still deal with the unquiet mind.
marie-jose says
accept the unquiet mind, to fight against it makes it more unquiet. Just except it and let it go. Focus on your quiet mind.
Ken says
Isaiah 26:3 God will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is fixed on Him, because you trust in Him.
Ask God in faith for His help and He will do miracles to help you create and be blessed in your quiet time.
Tammy says
The world yells and we answer. Thanks for the reminder to be still (and for taking away the wall between meditation and prayer).