Speaking about what she was reading, she said, “You need to keep reviewing these ideas so that you can hang on to the clarity and perspective. Otherwise, life steals it away.”

Kids basically want a sense of security, lots of free time and experiences that are fun and free from stress. Are adults any different in this regard?

I told her that it might seem hard to believe, but that the feelings she was experiencing right then were just emotions and that they would pass. I also told her, “If at the end of that time you still feel that you really have to have a pogo stick like hers, I will buy you one for executing the patience.”

Try this the next time you are faced with doing something you define as not enjoyable or as work. It doesn’t matter if it is mowing the lawn or cleaning up the dinner dishes. If the activity takes a long time, tell yourself you are going to just work on staying present moment and process-oriented for the first half hour. After that you can hate it

If you are aware of what you are doing and you are paying attention to what you are doing, then you are probably working at the appropriate pace. The paradox of slowness is that you will find you accomplish the task more quickly with less effort because you are not wasting energy.

Contrary to what the other classmates were experiencing, I found that, when given my present moment attention, the practice sessions were very calming, not bothersome. I didn't have to be anywhere but “here,” and I didn't have to accomplish anything but exactly what I was doing “right now.” I found that immersing myself in the process of practicing

The four “S” words are Simplify, Small, Short, and Slow.

You have simplified the task by breaking it down into small segments and only asking yourself to focus for a short period of time.

Alignment to the Observer brings non-judgment and hence equanimity. How do we become aligned to the Observer? How do we free ourselves from the confines of our ego? Though there are certainly a number of ways to accomplish this, in my opinion, the most effective method for creating this awareness spontaneously and effortlessly is meditation.