I deal with stress poorly. I don’t think I’m alone with this. Some people stress eat, snap at friends and family, drink too much. I take it out on my family and the people I love the most. I come home from work – look around my house in disarray, toys everywhere, dishes in the sink, my clutter littering the countertops and look to my wife. She of course is managing two boys under 4 years old, their constant needs and our boys longing for her attention. When stress is owning me, I may glance at her and go straight to the dishes. The dishes are a point of control for me, a point of comfort for my fragile psyche. I think once I conquer this domain, wipe the sink and hit start on our dishwasher my stress will dissipate. Empty the sink and my ability to control the uncontrollable world I live in will once again tilt in my favor.

I listen to podcasts every day as I drive across southern Mississippi for work. I heard an interview with Sam Harris on the power of meditation. He created an interactive app called Waking Up. It includes guided daily meditations for 10 or 20 minutes as well as additional podcast episodes on mindfulness and related topics. In 2020, I committed to taking 10 minutes a day to stop, slow my brain and meditate. About two weeks in, I began to sense a change. A year into the practice, and I am able to access the peace that passes all understanding in a matter of seconds. I now know through this spiritual practice that controlling my thoughts, emotions and physical desires is not the end game. Noticing them is. Identifying the often-subtle shifts in mood and narrative by being fully present is a gamechanger. Attention to the subconscious voice, stepping back and looking at the racing narratives of “me” cripples its power.

After one year of meditation practice, I’m ready for more. The still, quiet voice of the creator of everything is hidden deep within every human -- but is it heard? Practicing meditation helps me listen more intentionally. I hope you will give it the college try.

david