Meditation is a bother on many people’s minds today.
When many people come in contact with the concept of meditation, they are usually overwhelmed. And really, it is hard not to see why. For too long, contemporary media, as well as the internet has done so much to paint complicated pictures of what meditation should ideally be.
If you are ever going to meditate in order to find clarity and direction of purpose, you will need to first of all do meditation properly. So, that’s the first step, I will help you achieve.
Meditation Is Not Relaxation
A lot of people seem to think meditation is sitting down lotus-style and focusing on your breath or something. While I do not have anything against people that do that, there needs to be a delineation between relaxation and meditation!
If you need to relax, it may be a good idea to focus on your breath and sit in the lotus position, or you may simply go to your bed and get some sleep!
However, if you want to meditate, you need to go about it the right way.
Meditation Is Worry
You see, meditation, at its most basic form, simply means, positive worry!
This is why I laugh at times, when people come over to meet me and tell me that they find it difficult to meditate. I simply ask them, ‘Do you worry?”. Of course, these people look back at me, with incredulity written all over their face, “Of course, I do worry!”. In fact, the funniest answer that I got to my question was, “Promise, to be honest, I cannot remember a time when I did not worry!”. That’s the point when I simply smile and tell them, “Dude, if you can worry, you already know how to meditate…you’re only doing it wrongly”.
Take a moment and examine the past week, month or year.
Have you ever been bothered by anything, but still had to go to work? Have you been concerned with an issue but you still had to be in class to study? Have you been worried with stuff, but still had to take your children out to play or hang out with your spouse?
Most likely, the answer to all the questions above are a resounding yes!
You were able to keep the issue at the back of your mind while still maintaining some form of functionality in your everyday life! That’s how worry works…and that’s how meditation works too
The 3-Step Method for Effective Meditation
With everything else at the back of our minds, I will now proceed to share a 3-step method of effective meditation. I remember when I first used this method I am about to share with you, it unleashed the bundles of potential trapped within me and guess what, I am still reaping the benefits till this very day. This is why I am confident that if you follow the same steps, you will be surprised with the amount of clarity you will find concerning your life’s direction!
1. Find a statement or sentence that contains a reality you desire
I think that’s self-explanatory. You will need to find a motivational or inspirational sentence or concept that contains a reality or experience that you wish to have in the nearest future. It could be from an inspirational book or video. It may also be a profound truth that someone shared with you in the past. Typically, I pick my sentences from the Bible. I believe that the Bible is the most powerful book in the world today. There are hundreds of thousands of concepts, principles and ideas that can potentially turn your life right side up, if you spend enough time on it. Remember, at this stage, all you need is just one sentence or concept.
2. Think about the components of the statement or sentence
This is the point when you start seeking to understand the concept, idea or sentence. Think about the tenses used in the statement. Is it talking about the past, the present or the future? Think about the meaning of each word in the sentence. Does the word mean something else in the context of the sentence? Think about the sentence in terms of cause and effect. Will a certain action lead to certain consequences? Flip the sentence around and examine it from every angle.
3. Obsess over the sentence
This is the final secret sauce of meditation. Meditation is positive worry to the point of obsession! You have to make yourself obsessed with the idea, concept or statement you are thinking about. Think about it when you wake up; let it be the last thing on your mind before you sleep; think about it when you eat; think about it in the shower; whatever you do, just think about it.
There are two problems that usually arise at this phase.
The first is that a lot of people find their minds drifting off from the concept every few seconds. When this happens to you, do not be discouraged or frustrated. Just smile and bring your mind back to the concept you were thinking about before. I promise you, with time, you will find that it will take longer before your mind drifts off the topic you are thinking about.
The second problem is that a lot of people think that they do not have time to obsessively meditate. Actually, you do have more than enough time to do so. You see, there are a lot of empty pockets of time during the course of our day. Have you ever wondered about what you think of when you make the commute to work or class? What do you think about when you are sitting on the “white throne” or standing under the shower? If you could slot in meditation into these pockets of time littered throughout your day, I promise you that your life will be remarkably improved and you’d ultimately get the much needed clarity of spirit and mind!
