Meditation

After reading the article "Why we Find it Hard to Meditate" I could relate to the reasons why people don't meditate. I definitely understand the reasons as to why people find it difficult to meditate. Life gets so busy that we don't think we have the time. People think it has to be completely quiet or that they have to be still. One stigma of meditation is that you have to clear your mind of all thoughts; it surprised me to know that you don't have to do that. Its also surprising to know that we might have more than 300 thoughts during a 30 minute meditation session. I think I have a bit more personal experience with meditation than the average person. I have inconsistently practiced meditation since I was little, so I feel as though its something that is more natural to me. The first time I remember meditating was when I was little girl, probably around eight years old. I don't think I knew exactly why a person should meditate, but there I was on the floor in the middle of my room with my eyes closed. My mom asked me what I was doing, to which I replied "I'm meditating." As I grew older I have tried different types of meditation: guided meditation, labyrinths, and yoga. These were mainly one-time activities in my religion classes. My favorite type is going for walks by myself and just sitting watching the lake. The sound of the water is relaxing and calming.

The second article, "What Can the Rhythm and Flow of a Pendulum Teach Us About Balance and Personal Growth?" Draws comparison between the rhythm of a pendulum, with its highs and lows, to life. This is a fairly accurate description of life, and one I can relate to easily. A pendulum is a rod suspended that moves by gravity and momentum. This is a good analogy to my life for many reasons. I feel like there are certain high and low points in my life similar to its movement. For example, I had a good time at the dance Friday, but I was sad to find out that I did not receive a Residence Assistant position for next year. Despite the highs and lows, a pendulum usually rocks in a rhythm. My life has a rhythm, but is a bit quicker than I would like. At school I am involved in many activities and clubs on top of my classwork, which all can be a bit overwhelming. I try to maintain a balance by making sure I have time for the things I want to do as well as have to do. I sometimes take a walk by the lake by myself or read a book. I can definitely improve on things though. I plan on not procrastinating as much so I won't rush to finish things. I hope to find a way to schedule things without rushing from one activity right to another. I am trying to keep things in perspective and make sure to enjoy small "victories", such as today when my writing class was let out early so I had time to eat lunch and found that my favorite cereal was back. A pendulum is an accurate description of life.

“Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.”~W.E.B. DuBois

I think this quote is quite fitting in many ways. In general, someone has to take initiative to do a job in order to see any benefit of it. Applying this to school, we have to work hard to attain good grades in order to receive a degree. This analogy can go even further. Leaders have to work hard to make their or others' visions a reality. Not until they are done with their work will they be able to see the work pay off. I generally abide by this idea, trying to get homework done and fulfill my commitments before I do things for fun. I sometimes forget this though, especially on the weekends when I really would rather be hanging out with friends than doing schoolwork. I am trying to work on this throughout the semester.