The discussion topic at the AA meeting was Step 11, meditation. The first shares were from fellows admitting to problems with meditation:
“I find it hard to meditate”
“I don’t like sitting still”
“I always lose focus”
A wise old-timer then shared, he said, “if you want to do more push-ups, do more push-ups,” he paused for effect, then continued, “same for meditation.”
What a simple truth.
For many years I had a daily stretch routine. I would stretch and limber up as part of my morning routine. One day I decided to include push-ups as part of my routine.
My friend’s share reminded me of the first morning of my new regime. I struggled to do five push-ups; it was all I could do to reach five. It hurt, and I strained mightily. It was with some shame that I remembered doing dozens of push-ups as a young man. I had fallen a long way, but I was sure that I could do more if I kept at it.
Eleven days later, as I hit my fifth push-up, I thought, “I think I can do ten today.”
I kept going and got to ten push-ups for the first time. It hurt, and I strained mightily; reaching ten was as hard as the five I had done eleven days before.
Within another week, I was doing 15, then 20, and so it went. To do more push-ups, I had to do more push-ups.
This lesson applied when I started a meditation practice. At first, it was hard, and I had to strain mightily. I was bored, my mind wandered, and I often fell asleep if my mind was not active. But I persisted, and my meditation practices got better and better.
If I wanted to meditate more, I had to meditate more.
This principle can be practiced in all my affairs. If I want to remove more defects, remove more defects. If I want to pray more, pray more. If I want to do more twelve-step calls, do more twelve-step calls.
If I want to practice any of the virtues of the program more, practice them more.
Our AA friend was right, to do more push-ups, do more push-ups; to do more Steps, do more Steps.
Related posts
Beauty in the Wreckage
Spiritual Maturity
