When we first try to meditate, we seem to do nothing but fail. Perhaps we are focusing on our breathing, and then suddenly realize we've been thinking of something else completely different for a couple of minutes. Or we are meditating on the St. Francis prayer, as suggested in AA's Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, and then suddenly wake up to the fact that we've really been listening to the music coming from the next apartment. Under these circumstances, we're tempted to throw the whole thing in.

When we're discouraged like this, it helps to remember that meditation really only consists in being aware of what's happening right now. When I focus on my breathing, I'm focusing on what's happening right now. When I realize that I've been daydreaming instead, I'm focusing once more on what's happening right now. Distraction is part of meditation, not some sort of mistake. Meditation is in part a becoming aware of the fact that I've been distracted.

Attempting to meditate without being distracted is like trying to ride a bike without falling off. At the start, perhaps we fall off a great deal; but even if we've been riding for years, we'll still do it occasionally. It's simply a part of the experience -- like being distracted when we meditate.