The power practice of focus...this is tough

So I don't know if you are like me, (I'm thinking we are similar if you are reading this) but I always have about 30 billion thoughts going through my head at one time. I'm thinking about a movie I just saw or I have a song stuck in my head (currently it's Moving Mountain by Usher) or what next project I have to do or my to do list tasks, I mean the list just goes on and on.

So focusing has always been one of my biggest challenges. It's hard for me to focus on the task at hand.

So I tried something really new to me, I tried meditating. And let me tell you, it was a HUGE challenge

I went out to a national park near my house and went to a wooded area and picked one spot on a branch of a tree and focused on it. I've been told to focus on a flame or what have you but I liked the nature feel. The goal is to stare at one spot and make that your total focus and block out all thoughts that come into your mind. Just be there with out being there, make sense?

Well for the first 30 seconds I felt like I had it, then as if of no control of my own thoughts just starting jumping at me and I had to make a huge effort to cancel them out.

The funny thing that happened was that after about 30 minutes of this I felt a calm come over me, I was able to focus for a good portion and then when I came out of it I really felt peaceful and "still".

So I challenge you to spend 20 minutes sitting in a room and trying to block out any thoughts, just think nothing. See how you feel, it's really hard to put into words but I kind of digged it a lot. I am clearly not a mediation guru but after just doing it once I can appreciate what meditation has to offer.