Master of the Universe

I've been getting discouraged at how I just can't keep my mind focused on doing what I want to do.

To keep myself doing all the things I am supposed to be doing, my usual method is to whip myself into a frenzy of "shoulds" and "musts" which I have to fulfill in order to be a human being worthy of taking up my share of space on the planet. These then build into a huge ball of anxiety which then drives me to complete my task list in order to relieve my self-induced stress.

However, now that I've renounced stress, I'm realizing how precious little control I have over my mind, and thus, my behavior. I can't stay focused while I'm doing my meditation practice. After practice, I can't keep focused on my task list. I slip up on my lay person's vows. I waste time.

Then I remembered that "To tame this mind of ours, that is the teaching of all the buddhas." That is the essential meaning of all the buddhist teachings distilled into one line. So with great relief, I realized I was just being human. I'll be working on this until I realize the heart of enlightenment. Which in my case, is going to be a very long time.

Now I'm even more motivated to keep developing the stress-free method of making myself do what I want to do through my meditation practice.

To be master of your own mind is to be master of your universe.