I have heard many people say “I really should meditate”. I totally get it. I have said that many times in my life, even after completing a silent 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat in India, and a 30-day meditation challenge years later. When I finally articulated the five reasons why many of us avoid taking 10 minutes a day to meditate, I began to feel clarity, gratitude and peace in daily life. Forgive me for being the Saint of Truth here, but my intention is to help you become your highest self. Consider this:

Reason #1: You are attached to perfection.

If you decide you can only meditate in a beautiful silent room or on some mountaintop with a guru, you’re going to miss out on the benefits of meditating in every day life.

Reason #2: You are full of excuses. It’s really very simple. When you take all of the blah blah blah out of the equation, you either do or do not do what you say. “Do or do not, there is no try.”

Reason #3: You lack commitment. This shows up in many areas of life. If you can commit to meditating at least for a short time period, you will become more confident that you can keep promises you make to yourself.

Reason #4: You are a slave to distraction. Even though it will make no difference if you answer that text message in 10 seconds or 10 minutes, you are addicted to completing small tasks that do not give you the big results you are looking for. There is no peace in that.

Reason #5: You are not comfortable in your body. Instead of experiencing silence, you say negative things to yourself all day long. This keeps you from moving through the world with confidence, eating healthy food, and exercising. And you listen to people you do not actually want to be like instead of listening to positive people you admire. It sucks to admit all of that, right?

Now read these solutions out loud so that you can do something about it.

Solution #1: I meditate. I find a quiet place, sit on a cushion or towel on a flat surface with my back strait, turn my phone on airplane mode, set the timer for 5 minutes, close my eyes and focus on my breath. I know when I am breathing in. I know when I am breathing out. That’s it. If my mind wanders or I hear noises, that’s ok. I will return to my breath immediately and forgive myself. This beautiful place is perfect for meditation and this is the perfect time for me to be at peace. I create perfection with the words I choose.

Solution #2: I meditate first thing in the morning. If I get up 10 minutes earlier I will not miss that sleep, and I will be happy that I meditated. This is what Pema Chodron and many other masters suggest. When I meditate first, I know I have accomplished the most important thing I will do all day, and I will make good choices.

Solution #3: I commit to meditating for five minutes every day for 10 days in a row. Once I have accomplished this and can see the results, I will make a new promise that will bring me even closer to my life goals.

Solution #4: I choose where I focus my energy and attention. I forgive myself when I give in to distraction. I know that being distracted makes me feel chaotic and robs me of my power. I know what is important to me, and I do that first. That is why I quiet my mind first thing in the morning.

Solution #5: I have a teacher who helps me feel good about myself and encourages me to meditate. I take advice from people who are happy, grateful and healthy just like I want to be. When I meditate, I express gratitude for my health, my teacher, and my life. When you choose to meditate regularly, you will finally understand how people who meditate can be so powerful in the face of what ever comes their way. You will be bringing the world closer to the peaceful state we all talk about.

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