Are We There Yet?

When I drive to my friend's house, one road is long and it seems to take forever to get to the turn. The last time I drove that road, I looked way ahead and saw the grey house on the corner. Suddenly, even though the distance wasn't shorter, seeing the turn ahead, made it feel shorter. Why?

I think it's the same with maps. As a kid, some trips seemed endless, even though I knew to expect that. But once I learned to read a map and could plot the distance between here and the next town, suddenly an interminable drive went faster.

Have we somehow shortened the distance by bringing something of the distance up close?

Just asking.

Getting Lost in Meditation

When I first started to meditate, I'd been so tied-into my thinking process, I was kind of scared that I'd lose myself off in some mental place and end up not being able to find my way back. Yet I had enough faith in the process to try anyhow. 

So I set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes, set my intentions, and settled in.

Each time I tried it, it became easier to trust the process, and before long I was rousing before the timer was due to go off, just like the alarm clock in the morning.

At first it can feel like we may be wandering into a dangerous place. But there's something in us, some inner awareness, that keeps track of things. And it can be trusted.