One of the most common misconceptions about meditation is that we must stop our thoughts. I’ve heard so many people proclaim that they can’t meditate because, try as they might, they can’t stop thinking. On the contrary, meditation isn’t about not thinking. The more we try to do this, the louder and crazier the thoughts will become. Why? Think of your thoughts as shadows on a wall, and when you raise your fists to fight them, what happens? They fight back. The more you fight them, the more they will fight back because they are merely shadows. So what do we do?
This morning as I pondered this in meditation, this is what came to me: Imagine you are in a tiny boat far out to sea. You are surrounded by dense fog. You can hear the waves hitting the boat, the clanking of the boat, and the winds blowing. So many sounds are clamoring for your attention. You want to make it to shore, but you can’t see through the obscuring fog. You remember that someone once told you that there is always a fog horn that will guide you home and that you will hear it if you listen very intently.
The winds are still blowing, the boat is still clanking, and the waves are still hitting up against the boat, but you are placing your focus on hearing that fog horn that’s so quiet you might never notice it if you put all your attention on the cacophony of sounds that surround you in that fog. You know that this fog horn is your lifeline and will guide you to where you want to go, so you focus all your attention on hearing it. It’s there. It’s always there. It never stops.
Because you recognize that this is what you want and need, you are determined to hear it. Your attention might often drift to the sound of wind and waves, but you simply bring it back to listening for the fog horn. Imagine how determined you would be to hear that horn if you were lost at sea. We are all in that same boat, and the only thing standing in our way is that we believe we don’t need to hear it and that we don’t need to be guided. The more we recognize just how much we need it, the more determined we are to hear it, and the clearer it will become.
Meditation is more like focused, deep listening. Your attention will drift to this thing and that—what you should have for dinner, what so and so said, that you want to lose 5 or 20 pounds, what happened yesterday, and a million other things. It might bounce around like a crazy rubber ball. That’s okay. Let it bounce, and when you notice that you’re now bouncing around with that ball, simply bring your focus back to deeply listening for the fog horn.
I would love to hear if anyone has any questions or feedback. Let me know in the comments if anything comes to you.
Princess Sassy Pants & Co.™ 
Sorry if l just didn’t understand exactly what meditation is.I have just always heard it called praying.Yes,I am a Christian and l just am trying to understand what you mean about meditation.
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It really depends on what you think praying is. Many believe that praying is essentially asking or often begging a god somewhere far off to do something for them. I’ve come to see that praying is a time of feeling/experiencing the love of the Divine as well as feeling love for the Divine. It’s a time of listening and loving where there’s no need to ask for anything because everything is included in this Love. The experiences are different every time, and they are unmistakable. Meditation is a way or practice that helps open a way to have these experiences.
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A good analogy for those who find meditating difficult. It’s really about being quiet and focusing on your breathing.Ranfom thoughts running uck are part of the brain’s tidying up.process. Take 5 minutes to breathe and listen, or take a half hour. Take the time you need to regain calm and inner peace. For anyone still struggling, do an online search for guided meditations. I have found these to be most beneficial for me
And, yes, prayer can be a form of meditation, too, because we quiet ourselves down and spend time with the Lord.
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I don’t understand why a person would need to meditate.I guess l don’t understand when you can pray to God and ask him your concerns or questions.
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For all those who call themselves Christian and can’t seem to help themselves, thinking they need to correct everybody if the words used aren’t exactly as they believe they should be: The word “meditation” appears 23 times in the Bible.
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This is so helpful because I always felt like I didn’t know how to meditate because my mind always wandered. Plus I always tried meditating in bed and always just fell asleep.
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