What is meditation? I looked it up in my trusty Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary and found that “meditate” and “meditation” fall in between “mediocrity” and “Mediterranean.” That sums it up, doesn’t it! To get from an ordinary, average quality of life to living like you’re always on a Mediterranean cruise, you need to meditate!
“Mediocre” literally means “half-way up the stony mountain.” “Meditate” comes from a Latin word that means, “to meditate, to think over, consider” and derives from a word that means, “to measure, limit, consider, advise.” “Mediterranean” means in the middle of land—mediocre and Mediterranean both use the prefix that means “middle.” You might even say that we are mediocre when we give up halfway through something. We’re on our Mediterranean cruise when we can become centered. That thought further leads to the idea that trying to climb the mountain might indeed lead to mediocrity, but when we can find our center, especially in such a way that we are surrounded on all sides by grounded and supporting land, then we are living our dreams (especially if they include a cruise!).
Meditation is our tool to reach our dreams because it allows us to measure and limit ourselves. This might sound counterintuitive—aren’t we trying to find our very best, most authentic self? But that’s exactly what we’re measuring when we meditate. By regularly going to a quiet contemplative state that shows us our own limits—where we end and the rest of the world begins—we can become more in tune with our needs, our desires, and our goals, and we can separate from those imposed by outside forces.
I was at a Meetup recently when someone made the comment that the repetition of ideas creates grooves. I followed up by saying that all of society, from advertising to politics to social interaction, is designed to get us to flow into established grooves. But my goal for myself has always been to express myself completely uniquely and authentically. And so it’s important to release from society’s grooves and to find our own way.
Meditation helps us find our authentic self because it allows us to quietly separate from the outside static of society’s grooves and get in touch with our center, in which resides our own unique self. By taking time on a daily basis to limit our universe to only ourselves, we become more deeply connected with our personal goals and dreams.
Have you ever heard the advice that you should let go of people, friends, family who don’t support you? But when that’s impossible to do we often get stuck in a fog of negativity and can’t see our own path. Meditation is one way to take time every day to clear that fog. We can separate ourselves from negativity on a regular basis by limiting our self to only our own positive thoughts, or even just to the silence in which our dreams can begin to take shape. Then we see the path and can take the steps that lead us towards our true and authentic expression. Getting out of imposed grooves helps us think outside the box, become more creative, and achieve freedom to pursue our dreams!
Also, by excluding the white noise of the world, we open ourselves to being able to connect with the Source of Life, the Divine. By falling into the Divine groove we can ride the wave to our destination more quickly.
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Find out more about my telecourse, Meditation as Muse.
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Joy Vernon is a Certified Professional Tarot Reader and Reiki Teacher in Denver, Colorado. Her specialty is the Empyrean Key Transformational Guidance, which combines energetic and esoteric modalities to help her clients break through blocks and align themselves with their higher purpose. For information on upcoming classes or to schedule an appointment, please visit JoyVernon.com.
© 2012 by Joy Vernon. All rights reserved.
