I recently ran into my friend Richard Dietrich Maddox and he shared a thought provoking argument about doing nothing sometimes. He said, “Most of us live our lives under pressure, constantly feeling the stress of work, commute, kids, and deadlines weighing us down. We don't have enough time to balance job and home commitments, let alone trying to squeeze in a social life. We feel stress on the personal, family, and national levels.
What ever happened to our dreams of lives led in happiness? What about the peace and contentment we always promised ourselves? Is all of that just a dream never to be attained?
Paradoxical as it sounds, we all need to do less in order to accomplish more. We need to take time out of our busy days to recharge our batteries and regain our peace and composure. We need to meditate.
Think of meditation as the stretching an athlete does before a competition. No athlete worth the name would simply jump straight into a race without first preparing their body carefully. Yet, most of us do just that in our daily lives: we climb out of bed and begin the day's work without any preparation whatsoever. And the result is that we feel frazzled, frustrated, and fatigued.
Meditation provides a level of rest deeper than that of sleep; so, even if we need to rise a bit earlier to fit it in every morning, by doing it we will be more rested during the day. Meditation improves every aspect of our lives: our health, mental efficiency, emotional resiliency, and spiritual well-being.
After meditation, we feel rejuvenated. Our mind is clear and calm. Our emotions are under control. We are ready to react flexibly to any challenge that presents itself.
Many times, a problem that has puzzled us will get resolved during meditation. A brainstorm will come and the solution that has evaded us will become obvious. Issues that had previously seemed overwhelming will now be understood as entirely manageable. Our relationship with family, co-workers, and managers will improve spontaneously.
Meditation takes us to a settled state of pure consciousness. This state is a reservoir of creativity, peace, and joy. Every time we experience it, we emerge more inventive, calmer, and happier. Regular meditation will allow these benefits to build up over time. Gradually but consistently, our lives will get better and better and better.
Studies have shown that meditation improves overall bodily health, and, by reducing stress, betters our emotional health as well. People who meditate improve their intellectual performance. They also get along with other people better than they did before they began the practice.
Meditation is a highly practical tool to help us function more ideally in our everyday lives. In the long run, however, a higher possibility awaits us. Meditation can eventually lead to enlightenment: the state of permanent peace and happiness.”
Take time out of your busy day to meditate, morning and evening. You will be glad that you did.
Remember: doing "nothing" makes everything in your life better.
Richard’s newest novel, The Whisper of a Saint is now available on amazon.
