24 Chapter One
when reality crashes through their misconceptions. Becoming aware of why we believe what we do—is it based on fact, experience, assumption and so forth—is primary to uncovering the truth. The following examples highlight some common misconceptions about meditation. Use these to evaluate your own ideas about meditation.
Meditation is only for people who are not active.
Bill is the kind of person who likes to get things done. He is an active fellow, who is disciplined about his exercise routine, diet, and overall lifestyle. Bill’s discipline has helped him to overcome negative thinking and to become a model employee and leader at his company. However, he struggles with sleep because of the many ideas running around in his head. His mind just will not cooperate, unlike the disciplined control Bill is used to in other areas of his life. After a bout with self-schooled meditation, Bill decided it was for passive people, not active types like him, so he returned to physical exercise to cope with his busy mind. When his doctor recommended sleep medication, Bill was reluctant and continued his research, which suggested once again that meditation could help. This time around, Bill attended a course and discovered that meditation incorporates more than sitting still. He learned deep breathing and relaxation exercises, which helped with his sleep issues. He also learned to work with his thoughts through journaling. When almost a year had passed, Bill realized he was just scratching the surface of his mind’s inner workings. Lesson: Sitting still externally does not mean we are not actively accomplishing much internally.
I am way too busy to meditate.
It was January, and Deborah’s new year’s resolution had her join her fifth meditation class, though she never completed the previous courses she had taken in the last few years. After the second night, Deborah realized that it was not her motivation or interest in meditation that