By means of meditation we can teach our minds to be calm and balanced; within this calmness is a richness and a potential, an inner knowledge which can render our lives boundlessly satisfying and meaningful. While the mind may be what traps us in unhealthy patterns of stress and imbalance, it is also the mind which can free us. Through meditation, we can tap the healing qualities of mind. - Tarthang Tulku...
Do you meditate? I have tried over the years and find that I cannot meditate very well, I find it easy to focus and to get my mind calm and balanced, but I don't seem to get any deeper than that with my meditation. I have friends who use meditation and they swear that it works. I believe them, I just don't know how to stay focused for a long period of time, which I think meditation requires.
I can focus and calm my mind in short five minute stretches and then I drift into listening in my mind to an old song I just heard or a melody plays in my head and I listen to the song play on, I can do that for long periods. I first have to quiet the voices in my head and I sometimes do that by allowing the music that dances around in my head to increase in volume to quiet the voices. After a while, my voices still, and las I listen to the music, I find this very peaceful.
I attended the last University of Phoenix Vancouver Campus graduation and was given the honor to present the graduates and as people came up I had a chance to shake their hands and congratulate each one on their success. My role, was very simple, it was to meet the student as they came up the stairs, take their name card, and call their name just before they crossed the stage.
It was very pleasant, people were proud of their accomplishments of finishing their degree after years of hard work. One of the students said to me, I 'm a professional football player, and I am more nervous about walking across the stage then when I am playing football.
I thought about what he said. Everyone of the students, is being honoured by friends, family, the university and the faculty for their individual effort. I was careful to make sure that there were no other students on stage before I called the name and then the student could walk across the stage in the limelight. But many of us are not used to the recognition and I think there was some stage fright involved.
Do you meditate? I have tried over the years and find that I cannot meditate very well, I find it easy to focus and to get my mind calm and balanced, but I don't seem to get any deeper than that with my meditation. I have friends who use meditation and they swear that it works. I believe them, I just don't know how to stay focused for a long period of time, which I think meditation requires.
I can focus and calm my mind in short five minute stretches and then I drift into listening in my mind to an old song I just heard or a melody plays in my head and I listen to the song play on, I can do that for long periods. I first have to quiet the voices in my head and I sometimes do that by allowing the music that dances around in my head to increase in volume to quiet the voices. After a while, my voices still, and las I listen to the music, I find this very peaceful.
I attended the last University of Phoenix Vancouver Campus graduation and was given the honor to present the graduates and as people came up I had a chance to shake their hands and congratulate each one on their success. My role, was very simple, it was to meet the student as they came up the stairs, take their name card, and call their name just before they crossed the stage.
It was very pleasant, people were proud of their accomplishments of finishing their degree after years of hard work. One of the students said to me, I 'm a professional football player, and I am more nervous about walking across the stage then when I am playing football.
I thought about what he said. Everyone of the students, is being honoured by friends, family, the university and the faculty for their individual effort. I was careful to make sure that there were no other students on stage before I called the name and then the student could walk across the stage in the limelight. But many of us are not used to the recognition and I think there was some stage fright involved.
Hi Royce,
ReplyDeleteI'm a freelance writer for The Globe and Mail, and I'm a fan of your blog. I am writing a story about people who have decided to work part-time instead of retiring. I know you are retired full-time now, but I'm wondering if you could refer me to someone who is of retirement age and still working part-time who might be interested in participating in my story. You can email me at hcshelley@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Shelley White