(6-minute read)
The best birthday present ever is giving yourself time to retreat within and meditate (talk to your true self) on purpose.
Whenever I talk to people about the benefits of meditation or any sort of mindfulness practice, I get predictable answers. People confuse meditation with some sort of religious practice. We live in a secular world – especially in Western Europe and North America. Many people are just not comfortable hearing anything about God, the deity, spirituality or anything supernatural.
The other predictable objection I get about meditation is that they simply do not have the time. It is obvious that for too many people, time is a luxury. There are only so many hours in a day and they have basically overbooked their days. This is a fact. If they could, they would split themselves up and be found in different places at the same time. That’s how busy they are. Been there. Done that!
Given this context, do people have the time or the energy to meditate? The basic problem is simple time management, prioritizing and putting self-care first.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Believe it or not, you have the time for meditation and new birth. First of all, you only need fifteen minutes or less. In fact, if you can invest five minutes or more in meditation, you’re in a good place. You don’t have to spend half a day. You don’t even have to spend half an hour. Fifteen minutes is the perfect place to start. You will want more as your practice of retreating within deepens.
You may be thinking, “Well, I don’t even have fifteen minutes.” Think again.
Do me a big favor. Right NOW. Pause. Breathe. Think. Listen to your true self.
List all the things that you actually do at work. You’ll be surprised as to how much unproductive time you really have. Sure, you’re putting in eight hours a day, day after day, week after week, month after month but you’re stuck in patterns that never change and never open you to your NOW.
You’re overstressed. You’re overworked. You feel tired. However, look at the nitty-gritty of the stuff that you’re actually doing. I can bet you that you’re not actually doing eight full hours of work. I’m talking about work that puts food on the table or at least the kind of work that your boss is paying you to do.
I know it’s uncomfortable to hear this because it is a moment of truth. If you were to compress those eight hours or filter it in terms of productivity, how many hours of actual work do you put in each day? So, if you focus, you do have time for meditation and mindfulness. Yes, you have the time. You just have to free up some of your unproductive activities to pause, breathe and be aware of your NOW.
Focus on the fact that meditation and mindfulness deliver a lot more benefits than whatever cost they bring to the table. Sure, you’re out of fifteen minutes every day but can you really put a price tag on the sense of calm, inner peace and harmony that you get? Can you really put a price tag on the amazing feeling of liberation that you often get after meditation?
You have to understand that you’re carrying a lot in your Mental Plane and what you’re worried about impacts your NOW and changes your Physical Plane space.
Past regrets and future worries are precisely the kinds of things mindfulness moments of meditation will liberate you from. Meditation was my best birthday gift ever! Meditation unfolded my world into journal writing where my NOW gave me the gift of self-awareness, gratitude, and a humble heart.
Value your life, treasure your NOW and give yourself the gift of meditation moments every single day.
Be open to how your NOW will explode in wonder and awe! Meditation makes every single day MY BIRTHDAY! That’s what I call LIVING IN THE NOW: The Secret to Making Each Day Your Best!