People want to get into meditation for different reasons.
Some want to be more spiritual.
Some want to achieve enlightenment.
Others realize the science and health benefits. (There’s a ton of literature on the topic)
Others do it to lower blood pressure.
I do it for a self-development reason. It very frequently comes up in the daily activities of some of the most successful people I study.
A TON of successful people meditate. In fact, Ray Dalio calls it his #1 factor for success and he’s made billions of dollars.
But what if you don’t like meditating?
What do you do?
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You don’t have to.
Well, you don’t have to meditate. Not every successful person does. Jackie Chan and Richard Branson have admitted on camera that they don’t meditate when asked about it.
It is a bit eerie that the ones who don’t have at least tried it.
It’s very strange to me since this is a rather new thing to me and still seems pretty underground to me.
It’s not a common thing in mainstream American culture. Yet so many of the top Western successful people practice it.
The point is that not everyone does. Richard Branson doesn’t meditate after trying it.
This brings us to the next major point.
You Can Try A Meditative-like Practice
Branson will jet ski or wind surf for hours instead of meditation.
Many of the top people don’t always meditate, but they have a meditative-like practice.
Some people run or jog.
Some say it’s not as good as meditation and it takes away from some of the scientific effects but others say it’s close enough and it’s better if you enjoy it.
Running alone with no distractions or noise can definitely clear your head and mind.
I definitely think people are different and they prefer different avenues.
I prefer very quiet environments, others love noisy bustling places to work.
Start Small
You can also try starting small.
Give it more of a chance to seep in. Start with 2 minutes a day or less. Gradually build up. Make it so insignificant you can’t but to do it.
Like exercise, you won’t see results until months down the line but it’s SO worth it in terms of the long term results.
I think for many mainstream individuals, it’s very tough because they are so bombarded by things that cater to their short-attention span and boredom, making them even more unfocused and impatient.
There’s one meditation practitioner that described it best to me: She said a lot of city-folk have a lot of buzzing around their head area, but those who meditate center that and bring that activity to their heart and body and cool it off. (Again, she said it a lot better than I did. I can’t remember the exact phrase)
Conclusion
In conclusion, start small with 5 minutes a day, give it a chance to become fun, recognize that it’s ok that you’re naturally easily bored, realize you don’t have to meditate to be successful, and try out meditation-like activities like sports or jogging if all else fails.
Will you start meditating? What got you into the practice? Why do you want to do it?
