Do you ever wonder why something that often works is not effective? I’ve had this experience recently while taking a course in mindfulness.

Working hard and striving to accomplish things yielded results in my work life. Setting goals, holding myself accountable, checking things off my to do list…all of these things led to forward progress. The old adage about working hard, perseverance, striving forward, seemed to work.

There are times where this is not effective. When practicing meditation one stays in the present moment. We are taught that we cannot change what has already happened nor change what is in the future. We live in this moment. There is no need to strive. In fact the more we strive and push ourselves the less we are living in the present.. When the mind wanders we gently bring it back to this instant. No harsh berating of ourselves. Gently return to the present. The more we strive the less we are present. Let go of frustration and accept that the mind will wander…after all we are human and that’s the way or minds operate. It’s not good or bad, it just is.

This can be a difficult thing to grasp. The more we strive the less effective the practice is. Letting go, returning to right now will yield what we are seeking…the inner peace of relaxing and being in ourselves in this instant. What a wonderful experience. How much clarity we have when we slow down, and go deeper, removing all the clutter.