Ron has had this nagging thought for some time, but it was only now that it has become all-consuming.

He thinks he is doing quite well in life, with some of his friends even being envious of his accomplishments. Yet, he himself does not feel satisfied. Something is telling him that he would need to change course, but he is not sure how or when.

It was just the other day at work when he realized that something must change. This realization came after he had talked to one of his colleagues, who shared her distaste with herself and the work she does. Well-educated, smart and sociable, Jil has grown disenchanted with the high-powered woman that her peers expect her to be. More than that, it is the painful division within herself between the person she wants to be and the person that she is expected to be that worries her the most.

It is not that she must be at times firm with her colleagues when a project starts falling behind schedule or that she must project a self-assured and know-it-all personality when interacting with her bosses that displeases her. At times such things are necessary. Above all, it is her feeling that her time could be better spent if she were to be just herself, spontaneous and enthusiastic at times, reserved and thoughtful at other times. She would be happy in her current work if only she could act as her true self rather than as an externally imposed personality.

Jil’s predicament resonated deeply with Ron’s own soul-searching mood. Should he continue in his current job? What about the many personal projects that he dreams of doing, but never finds the time to do them? How would his friends and relatives react when they find out that he made a major change in his life? Definitely, some very tangible and uneasy questions to meditate on.

Talking about meditation, he has heard earlier that meditation may help with re-orienting oneself in life, but also in choosing and setting life’s goals. Apparently, meditation can do much more than that, they say. It can help connect with a deeper reality of things. What would be really great, Ron thought to himself, is to become more aware of his own deeper aspirations and capacities so that he could charter a better course for himself. That had an enormous appeal to Ron, to say the least.

Meditation, he recalled, is something that is akin to unfolding from within rather than acquiring something from without. Practised daily for 10-20 minutes, it is like a torch light that illumines one’s inner realms. Meditation brings forth and reinforces one’s good qualities, allows to develop new positive qualities and helps one accept and deal with negative qualities. It is a gradual process that requires perseverance and takes time, but which unmistakably brings one to the cherished goal. Ultimately, meditation clears the way so that achieving worthy goals becomes easy and natural.

Especially at the beginning, meditation requires some expert guidance one can get from other meditators or from books. Later, meditation becomes an integral part of one’s daily life, blending into it smoothly and supporting it wonderfully. Ron decided that when he sees Jil next day at work, he would mention meditation to her and suggest that they both join a meditation course later in the week.

For more articles on integrating meditation into the present-day lifestyle and for more information on starting a meditation practice of your own, visit www.GenevaMeditation.ch.