I sat crossed-legged on my living room floor

I sat crossed-legged on my living room floor.

Then a strange sound began emitting from the refrigerator.

I lived in the house for years.

But I never noticed it.

I was trying to mediate for the first time.

However, the noise was too distracting.

I had read article after article about the benefits of meditation.

Reduced stress.

Increased focus.

More creativity.

Unfortunately, my first session was a failure (I thought).

But after describing the noise to others in the house, my opinion changed.

Everyone was aware of the refrigerator sound.

It had been going on for years.

Because of my busy life, I failed to notice.

The experience made me wonder.

What else am I not noticing?

With renewed interest, I found a center that offered meditation classes.

There I learned the foundations of mindfulness.

I read books, listened to podcasts, and attended weekly group meditations.

All of this helped me start a consistent meditation practice.

Over time I noticed positive changes.

I was handling challenging situations better.

My attention and memory improved.

And overall, I felt better.

Despite the benefits, I’ve struggled to keep up over the last year.

Due to the pandemic, the center stopped in-person group meditation.

I started a business and often contemplate if I can afford to allocate time to meditation.

These are excuses.

I don’t miss or skip work meetings.

Time is blocked on my calendar.

And I am always there.

So that’s what I am doing with meditation now.

I’ve blocked time on my calendar.

If it results in less stress, increased focus, and more creativity — it’s not a cost.

It’s an investment.