Each year, we work on modifying one behavior, keeping it simple. We’ve learned that it takes time. We have to be patient with setbacks. We have to forgive ourselves … frequently. This year, we have been learning to meditate. It’s not easy. It’s tough to still one’s mind for 20 minutes each day. The deadlines in our work are relentless and stress-inducing. We work with more than 120 clients. Expectations are high. 

We began meditating in April. Although we felt a little silly about it, we tried Oprah and Deepak Chopra’s Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body, and Spirit. It sounds dramatic, but meditation has changed our lives. We’re calmer. We’re more focused. And perhaps, best of all, we’re becoming self-aware. That’s a big change for two people who can stare at their computer screens for 18 hours a day. If we miss a day of meditation, we feel it. Meditating is now an ingrained part of our lives. And I’m grateful for it.