THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE

Meditating doesn't necessarily require staring at a crystal while sitting in the lotus position, humming a mantra in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.

If that works, fine. But meditating, while having many meanings, to me means simply sitting still for a minimum of 15 minutes, breathing correctly and deeply, listening to what I have to say to myself.

How many people do you know spend 15 minutes a day to just "be," sitting back and letting what happens, happen? I know, we're all too busy. When can you find an uninterrupted 15-minute block of time what with the bosses, unreasonable requests, the kids' soccer practices, walking the dog and can't miss TV?

As hard as it might sound, taking personal time is possible. Mahatma Gandhi meditated for 24 hours straight once a week, and he seemed to get other things accomplished. (Of course he was the boss, not a soccer mom, and the cell phone reception was lousy.)

You may not see yourself as having the mental discipline of Gandhi, but why don't you even take a shot at it? Could it be when you're alone, eyes closed, breathing deeply, your conscious mind disengages and you access your subconscious mind and unasked questions begin to float to the surface? Questions such as:

"Am I growing and having fun on my job?"

"Are my relationships rewarding and full of mutual satisfaction?"

"Is my life playing out the way I thought it would?"

"OK enough of that," you say. "Let's turn on the radio and the TV, and call somebody on the phone while waiting for the computer to boot up"

As Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher, said, "All man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone." If meditation is so helpful, what is the real reason so many people don't take this beneficial time alone? Could it be they don't like the company?


Lesson: You have the answer; listen quietly for the question.