May continues to be a beautiful dance of photography and writing output stemming from #MarthasMayPhotoChallenge and the current session of the 30-Day Mindfulness Meditation Challenge. A few days ago a member of our meditation circle asked the question, “What has motivated you over the years to keep up with your meditation practice?”
I enjoyed reflecting on my answer in the daily Takeaways email I compose each day for the group…
My Meditation Motivation
My motivation has evolved over the ten years of my practice. A lot of the answer to this question is in my book Blooming into Mindfulness, where I laid out the progression of learning that I was a major source of stress and negative energy in my household, the “accidental” discovery of present moment awareness during my cancer recovery, and the transformative experience of learning that my thinking patterns were not serving me and that I had the power to change those patterns.
If I had to list the motivators over time, it would go something like this:
Top 10 Drivers (to date)
1. I witnessed that staying grounded in the present moment took the edge off not only my own stress, but that of those around me as well. I became a better parent, or at least a parent who had fewer regrets about how I had handled a situation. But I found I couldn’t stay present all the time, so I cultivated a meditation practice to raise my percentage of mindful moments during the day.
2. I found meditation gave me more access to my inner wisdom as a means to support my writing and help me clarify my purpose work. It also nudged me into the photography project that evolved into a business line (total surprise).
3. Recognizing cancer’s lesson that we are not on this planet for very long, I wanted to make the most of the gift every day offered. Meditation supported that goal.
4. Meditation, I came to learn, fueled all of the other healthy, purposeful habits and intentions that contributed to living my best life.
5. Meditation reduced my net amount of suffering because it allowed me to process and let go of stuff that didn’t matter as much as I used to think it did.
6. I noticed that, just like with teeth brushing–another daily activity that isn’t “exciting”–I didn’t feel as well if I skipped meditation.
7. The neuroscience convinced me that over time, even if some sessions weren’t easy or interesting or insightful, meditation was contributing to positive brain changes. “Dose” matters. All of those short little sessions added up. I knew this intellectually before I felt it happening. The science kept me going.
8. Between the science and my personal experience, I am convinced that meditation is preparing me to navigate my “sunset years” with resilience. Aging is not for the faint of heart. Meditation helps to mitigate anxiety and fear of change. It also shifts our relationship to pain, reducing the suffering that is associated with it.
9. Connecting with other practitioners widened my lens further to view the growing mindfulness movement as a powerful antidote to society’s shortcomings. Showing up for my own practice is about something much bigger than myself and my family. The enhanced sense of connection and greater compassion that results from meditation can save the planet.
10. There is rarely a good reason not to. (And if there IS a good reason not to, that’s OK too, since I know I’ll just start up again tomorrow.)
This list could be much longer. It’s grown in significant ways since my book came out and, I’m sure, will continue to as my journey progresses. Thank you for being part of that journey!
Have YOU cultivated a meditation practice? What are your motivators? Leave a comment or shoot me an email. I’d love to hear about your drivers!
