Submitted by a student in the Meditation at Work Class

I am beginning to understand the value of a mind which is not filled with preconceived ideas. I had not realized how cluttered my mind was until I tried to empty it. It seems that I used my mind mostly as a waste basket which I never tossed out. There was “stuff” in there that I thought was long gone from my life.

I have noticed lately that I am less quick to access blame on myself or others. I have found pleasure in creating better solutions to daily challenges rather than to simply lay them off onto someone else’s behavior. It is comforting to think that is all in my mind because that means that I have within me the ability to create my own life and beyond that the world in which we live. It’s a proactive concept which meditation seems to afford me rather than simply reacting to others. My challenge has always been that I overreact and meditation seems to have afforded me the one-second pause. It’s amazing what I have found that I can do with a short period of time before I speak.

The teaching that we can only be hurt or angry if we so choose is powerful. That our response is totally our choice and who would willingly subject themselves to the discomfort of anger. Meditation gives me the tools to employ this lesson. Ideas need be in my mind only if I so choose. I could perhaps empty my mind and put in the ideas that I would want to govern my behavior.

My meditation mind is certainly not on empty but I have learned not to attach to the ideas as they flow through.
I can say that I have absolutely learned how long 10 minutes is without even checking a clock.