Meditation

Prior to my injury I had not meditated.  While first recovering I was encouraged by doctors, my wife, and family to start.

Immediate problem – “If I can’t stop thinking about being shot, how am I going to sit still and make my mind stop to meditate?”

At first, I didn’t even try meditating, but eventually I got so desperate and was in enough emotional pain that I would do anything.

Start slow.

I first started meditating by using a free app I downloaded.  In the beginning my only goal was to just get through a 5 minute meditation.  I figured if I could just say I get through it and be present, then I was doing something.

Slowly it became more enjoyable.  Meditation started to provide me relief from all the pressure and stress squeezing my chest, so I kept going.

With time YOU will slowly find through personal experience that meditation is allowing YOU to get calm enough to look at YOUR situation through a set of fresh eyes.  For a long time I was trapped by my anger, stress, depression and anxiety. Any time I would think about my recovery, I was swept away by feelings of anger and pain which stopped me from being able to come up with a real plan of attack.  Prior to meditation I was in a constant panic trying to fix me.

Meditation allows YOU to slow down enough to make clear decisions on how to get better and what actions YOU can personally do.  I pray you also use meditation as a tool to get better. I figured, “What do I have to lose by trying”?

Serenity prayer:

“grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, (identify what you cannot personally change)

the courage to change the things I can( identify what I can personally change),

and the wisdom ( be calm enough) to know the difference.”