My Must Haves, My Wants, My Preferences, ... My, My, My!

     How comfortable are you simply sitting still, alone, in silence? Or, from another perspective, how long is your list of very specific requirements, not necessarily to be happy, but to simply feel OK? I suspect someone who knows you well, could quickly draw up a long (expensive & annoying) list of requirements, just to keep you from complaining. Is this a reasonable way to continue living? Most folks don't know any better, so they continue to serve this life sentence.
     Meditation practice - sitting still, in silence, with an open mind - allows us to clearly see our own addictive relationship with all sorts of distractions - all the "must haves" to keep from feeling miserable. The amazing discovery, as we continue meditating, is that the vast majority of these "must haves" can be released, without any negative consequences. In fact, dropping these is refreshingly liberating - like successfully quitting smoking, or intentionally loosing a bunch of weight. MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) is an evidence-based, secular form of meditation practice that literally shows us that we all have the capacity to not only be comfortable, but full of joy, without needing or wanting anything external.
     Mindfulness courses are widely available. It's best to learn from someone who's had as much meditation experience as possible.

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia