I sit down to meditate.

I breathe in.

I breathe out.

I relax. This feels nice.

The world is calm; my mind is calmer.

I know I need this. I take another deep breath, then bam, loud thoughts arise in my mind. I bring my focus back to my breath, but the mental chatter only gets louder.

I can also hear surrounding sounds. Ugh, I’m overwhelmed. Apparently, my meditation practice isn’t going well. The longer I sit, the harder I fail.

The more I meditate, the more I suffer…

I’ve often heard people say that over and over again. Every time they meditate they realize that meditation is not for them. They sit to relax, but they end up fighting their thoughts instead.

So, they quit. They choose an “easier” spiritual practice that doesn’t leave them feeling overwhelmed. They might endure tremendous hardships every single day; the last thing they need is a practice that brings it all to the surface.

But maybe that’s what we need. We need a practice that will help us accept the noise within us and around us. We sit in meditation thinking that it’s going to fix our problems. We think it’s going to eliminate our thoughts and fill us with an undeniable sense of freedom and peace.

The moment we discover that meditation can’t do that for us, we stop. We think we have failed. I’m here to tell you that this realization is a great opportunity to invite mindfulness into our lives. When we “suffer” in meditation, we stay. We take a deep breath and watch our thoughts.

But instead of getting carried away, we watch them. We see them passing by like clouds in the sky. We don’t make assumptions. We lower our expectations and stay in the present moment—even if it’s chaotic. We accept this noise as part of our meditation session and practice surrendering.

If we can do this, we will slowly learn how to surrender in our daily life. Just like we accept the chatter in our minds, we will then accept traffic jams, extreme heat, or disappointing meals. The things that usually upset us will transform into our spiritual practice.

So if you meditate and find yourself suffering, that’s good. You’re supposed to suffer. You’re supposed to deal with hundreds of thoughts and emotions. You’re supposed to know they exist. But you’re not supposed to run away from them or brush them under the rug.

Meditation is here to remind us that what’s happening within us and around us is normal. Meditation teaches us that we shouldn’t be fighting the loud noise. When we fight it, it persists. But if we watch it come and go, we will attain the freedom we seek. We won’t free ourselves from our thoughts, but we will loosen our grip.

Then we won’t suffer anymore. What we call “suffering” in meditation will transform into mental power. We will realize that there will always be distractions. There will always be chatter. They’re not the problem. The problem is how we perceive them.

Can you honor this present moment?

Can you accept what is?

If yes, then you are beginning to master consciousness.

~