It is only when we silence the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.
— K. T. Jong
The other day I realized I had been driving around for two days with the low gas alert light on in my car.
Every time I saw the light, I got that panicked feeling in my belly that my car was going to run out of gas in the middle of the freeway and I would be THAT person causing a traffic jam.
Yet, just as the uncomfortable feeling would start, I would replace it with a belief that I could put off going to the gas station for just a couple more miles so that I could run an extra errand and prolong the boring chore of pumping gas.
Finally, I rolled into the gas station on fumes and took the 10 minutes out of my day to fill my tank.
Standing in the warm sunshine, I took a deep breath and recognized this activity not as a dreaded “must do,” but rather a valuable opportunity to ground my feet into the earth, straighten my spine, take a deep breath and come into the moment.
It was my time to actually incorporate a mini meditation into my day and after I was finished at the pump, I returned to the car calm and happy. I had actually filled up two tanks… my car’s and my own.
The benefits of meditating are far reaching — taking the time to meditate helps us train our brain to not get caught in all the thoughts that swirl around everyday, causing fatigue and distraction.
When we meditate we slow things down and FEEL our bodies. We learn to let the thoughts be there but not to attach to them all the time so there can be space for calm, intuitive and creative voices to be heard. It is far more peaceful.
For those of you who find it terribly hard to take 30 minutes to meditate, try reframing the routine mini activities in your day into precious opportunities to come into stillness and the present moment.
There are many places to steal a little time for mini meditations, like I did at that gas station. Waiting in the grocery line, driving to work, walking the dog, or taking a shower could all be mini-meditation moments.
So please — stop putting off filling up your own tank up because you think you do not have enough time or patience. Seize those little moments and release your inner zen.
A version of this post appeared originally on On Your Path Consulting.
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