Focus sharply on the things that matter.

I have just watched a fascinating documentary on the Japanese city of Kamakura.

The film talked about the traditions of the Samurai and their association with Zen Buddhism. The world of Medieval Japan was warlike at times but there was a much deeper spiritual dimension to society, something that persists into the modern era.

The concept of 'stilling the mind' attracts me. I would love to cut out all the clutter of daily life and focus much more sharply on the things that matter. Meditation is good for mind and body. I am struggling with the discipline needed for this activity but it is a positive step forward for me in my battle against stress.

It will help me with my writing as well I believe.

My mind is like furnace. It is full of fire and energy but the chaos can be difficult to live with. It makes progress in writing erratic and unpredictable. I need to be calm. I want to harness my creative side properly and I reckon meditation will help me do that.

Sometimes less is more.

As with the other aspects of writing the need to 'make the time available' is the key to success. I will get up earlier and stop doing things that get in the way. I will be a better person for it and a better writer. If the ancient Japanese could make a go of it, sometimes devoting years of their lives to their pursuit of 'self knowledge' and 'inner discipline' then I can find twenty or thirty minutes out my schedule to do something vaguely similar.

Nothing in life is easy if it is really worth it. So I will give this a chance.