CHAPTER 1: AS YOU BEGIN THIS JOURNEY…
Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end,
by forces over which we have no control.
It is determined for the insect as well as for the star.
Human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust,
we all dance to a mysterious tune,
intoned in the distance by an invisible player.
– Albert Einstein, physicist
I was that mother — the one who was always lecturing kids on assorted topics (my own child, as well as other people’s children): “That’s not healthy for you!” “Go to bed, you need your sleep!” “Look it up!” “You can have water or milk — no soda!” “Do your homework!” and so on. And, I would go into great detail about why it was important to get enough sleep, or drink water, or do homework.
Every time I would begin one of my endless lectures, my son would say, “Mom! Please! Not another Mommy Lecture!” He then would comment, “I just asked you what time it is, you don’t have to tell me how to build a watch!”
(Apparently, I tend to ramble a bit…)
Looking back, I can see that those Mommy Lectures were the beginning of what would grow into a key part of my program.
Whether he would admit it or not, it helped my son understand when I would explain the “why” — why it was important for him to get enough sleep, why he had to eat his vegetables, why going to school and doing his school work was important, why he had to do chores before he could go to a friend’s house.
Kids need to know the why’s and the how’s.
I found that by explaining how and why meditation works, and how and why the body responds to it, kids are more inclined to give it a try, and they will get more of a benefit from it.
I also have found that it has to be the student’s choice to participate in any meditation exercise.
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Free Will vs. Pre-Destination
There is absolutely no hypnosis or witchcraft involved in any of my classes (believe it or not, I have been asked that question by the skeptics and the critics of my program).
I happen to be a Christian — it’s how I was raised.
I believe in pre-destiny, as well as free will.
So, just what is the difference between pre-destination and free will? I believe pre-destination is the path God has chosen for you. It is that special gift you bring into this world (we all have one); what you are expected to do with your life.
Free will is the gift God has given us that allows us to choose whether we take that path or not, and our right to choose which path we take to get to where we are going.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you are pre-destined to become a teacher (pre-destination). You get to choose the path you take to get there (free will).
So, you think about being a teacher when you are a kid, but college seems too expensive and will take so long. Instead, you go to work at a restaurant to pay your bills.
As the years go by, you take a few jobs in sales, then move on to marketing, art and design work.
You start your family, get promoted along the way, start your own business, and have a pretty good life, but that urge to teach is still there.
A position opens up for a substitute teacher at a vocational school, and because of your qualifications — and friendship with the person in charge of hiring — you are offered the position.
You have become a teacher — perhaps not in the conventional manner, but you have achieved your destiny.
— ♦ —
An Important Point Here!
Remember that while you do get to choose your path in life, you do not get to choose anyone else’s path! (More on that topic in chapter seven.)
I make it a point to tell students that it is always their choice whether or not they participate in my class —and to what extent. I believe strongly in free will, and that I do take away anyone’s free will — no one has that right.
— ♦ —
So, What Is Meditation?
Rid your mind of any pre-conceived notions you may have about meditation (believe me, I have heard them all). There are as many methods of practicing meditation as there are people who do it, and just as many reasons to do it.
Basically, it is putting oneself into a state of deep relaxation to allow for mindfulness.
Meditation is a very personal experience.
The method presented in my program, and in this book, is just one of many; I developed this method and have used it for years because it works well with young people.
— ♦ —
What Exactly Does It Mean To Meditate?
Look it up! The definition according to the dictionary:
meditate [L. meditari, to consider.]
to consider thoughtfully; to intend;
to ponder, especially on religious matters.
Simply put, meditation is thinking.
It is an exercise of contemplation which can be used to train, calm, focus or empty the mind. It is a method of achieving an altered state without the use of any chemical substances.
It allows you to stay in control of your mind and your body at all times. With meditation, you do not hand over control of you to any one or any thing at any time.
You will see the word “think” a lot in this book. When you see the word “think” as you read this book, think “meditate.”
— ♦ —
How Can You Use Meditation?
You can choose to use meditation techniques just to relax, to help you sleep, to gain insight, to help you study, or to use the power of your subconscious mind to achieve goals, change habits, solve problems, or to pray. Meditation can be an intense form of prayer!
It sometimes takes a bit of patience and practice to reach a meditative state. As with anything else, the more you practice, the easier it becomes as you condition your brain and body to work together to reach this state.
Once you have experienced this state of mind and body, you get to choose how you want to use it.
— ♦ —
THINK TIME:
How will you choose to use meditation?
PART ONE
THE MOMMY LECTURES
Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously
uses his intelligence.
– Albert Einstein, physicist