It’s almost impossible to read a recently published self-help book and not come across the author explaining the benefits of meditation. I remember when I first heard about meditation when I was in college. But back then, to be honest, it seemed next to impossible to see myself sitting still for anything.

I was either chasing my next goal or feeling like I didn’t have enough time in my day. So why on earth would I spend 10-20 minutes in complete silence with minimum movement. As a high achiever who was always focused on the next goal, I never could reconcile this.

It wasn’t until I started hearing the scientific benefits and the testimonials of others who’ve integrated a meditation practice that I said to myself, maybe I should give this thing a try.

Meditation benefits

The benefits of meditation range from reducing negative emotions, increased creativity, increased life expectancy, peaceful sleep, improved focus, and developing a sense of calm in the face of adversity.

So I downloaded apps like Headspace and Calm and tried to give them a try.It wasn’t enough for me though. I could hardly keep still. It became something I wanted to avoid. Most likely because I didn’t see or feel the immediate benefits that everyone was raving about.

It wasn’t until I felt stagnant in my personal growth and hit rock bottom in my career and businesses that I realized I needed something to ground me. My productivity began to slow, and my overall life satisfaction declined. I was so bogged down with stress that I felt like I was living in survival mode 24/7. In fact, science says I actually was. 

When the body lives in continuous stress for a prolonged period of time, it can contribute to heart attacks, diabetes, lack of sleep, forgetfulness, and headaches. Needless to say, I was heading down the wrong path to success.

So, since the apps didn’t work for me – I signed up for lessons at a local meditation studio. Every day after work, I was taught the basic principles of following my breath, and when my mind began to wander – I would gently return my attention back to my breath.

After about one week of sessions, I was hooked. Finally, the benefits that everyone was raving about began to come! The zest of my life was coming back. Productivity, focus, and my overall sense of satisfaction began to rise.

I ended up leaving the meditation studio and began to consider integrating a meditation early in the morning so that I could receive the full benefits throughout the day.

“Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings.” — Arianna Huffington

What meditation did for me and my life

It wasn’t easy, but I’ve been meditating for 20 minutes just about every day at 6 am for the past two years. And to be honest, even to this day, sitting 20 min a day to be silent still doesn’t excite me, but the ROI you receive from consistent meditation compounds quickly.

I was able to accomplish my tasks much more quickly and elegantly. In addition, I felt like I increased my ability to handle stress more tactfully and wisely. Not only that, it gave me the inner calmness to meet challenges and solve them in much less time than they would typically take.

I even began to notice a rise of synchronicities, coincidences, and serendipities in my life. I felt like I was meeting the right people, getting the perfect parking spot, and making the right moves in my career and business. I was indeed strengthening my intuition and my ability to become conscious of my external reality. 

Emily Fletcher, author of Stress Less, Accomplish More says, as you commit to daily meditation sessions, “your increased ability to hold multiple things in one awareness will allow you to pick up on subtle, almost imperceptible clues, which, in turn, will allow you to read situations faster and with more accuracy.”

As you can see, consistent meditation can begin to feel like a cheat code in your life.

And I’m not the only one that thinks like this. Russell Simmons, Joe Rogan, Oprah, Kobe Bryant, Will Smith all rave about the benefits of daily mediation. Even Ray Dalio, the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, says that meditation is the single biggest thing he can trace back to his success.

Daily meditation does require a small investment of your time, but the payoff is exponential. As Emily Fletcher would say, investing just 2 percent of your day to dramatically improve the other 98 percent is worth it!

I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t start my day or leave the house before a meditation session. It’s become a daily habit like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. The benefits it provides me enhance my daily life experience and make even the challenging moments in life blissful or a growing opportunity to advance myself.

So, if you want to upgrade your success and health in life – integrating a morning meditation could be the answer you are seeking.