All of us have a voice running in the background of our mind. The voice is rarely helpful. If you are like me, it isn’t saying, “You can do it, or keep going, you’re doing great!” The little voice is always there.

Well as you know, that voice represents unspoken, sometimes unacknowledged, thoughts in our head. Many times they are unexpressed, unconscious fears. Because our thoughts rule our lives, it is important to learn to harness and direct our minds. Just as when you get a new pet, you train it to know the rules of your home. You don’t allow your beloved animal to poop all over the house. Our minds work much the same way. We flourish when we give our minds direction.

When we meditate, we provide that direction. We are guiding the ship, gently saying, “go this way.” When we learn to harness our minds, we can accomplish our goals with greater ease. Sometimes meditation can seem like a challenge. I will give you three methods to try.

One way to start is with a candle. You might set a timer for two minutes, light the candle and merely concentrate on the candle. You could try silently saying, “candle, candle, candle.” When you get off track, just remind yourself and come back without berating yourself about it.

You can also try a mantra. A new one for me is “I am…I can…I will…I do.” suggested by Hitha Palepu on her blog. Set a timer, close your eyes and silently say, “I am…I can…I will…I do.” I particularly love this one!

The third method is to concentrate on your breath. Simply notice your breath. Consider adding, “present moment, wonderful moment.”

When you have a regular practice, it becomes something you can call upon in difficult times. Once you develop that habit, those times are more manageable.

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