The Power of Choice
Finding Your Calm Centre When Life Gets Noisy
Last week, I was getting ready to lead a lunchtime meditation session for Movement for Modern Life.
I'd put a note on my front door asking for no interruptions, popped the dog in the other room, set everything up perfectly and was ready to go. My note had said please do not ring the doorbell between 1230-1pm as I’m hosting a meditation session. The zoom session begins, we are all gathering and I’m starting to talk and the doorbell rings.
Best laid plans, right?
When the doorbell went off, the dog started barking.
External chaos is doing its thing, and I'm thinking, "Really? Now?"
But you know what? It was life in motion and what I’ve learnt, again and again is that meditation isn't about finding the perfect quiet space. It's about discovering that place within you that remains calm and centred, even when the world gets noisy.
Did I feel frustrated - yep - could I change the circumstances - no.
So this teaching comes from this experience and I’m sure you can relate.
Have you ever noticed how the world and mind gets noisy when you want to quieten it down?
When Perfect Conditions Don't Exist
We often think we need ideal conditions to find peace. The right room, the right time, complete silence, a clear mind. But what if your most powerful meditation practice happens exactly when things aren't perfect?
During our session, when that buzzer went off and the dog joined our meditation chorus, something beautiful happened. We had a choice. We could focus on the irritation, the interruption, the "ruined" moment. Or we could choose to find the calm within the chaos. Luckily, due to the zoom sound settings it turns out no one could hear what was going on but I could and I had that choice there and then to let it become ‘the thing’ I focused on or choose to be in the practice and stay present to the meditation teachings.
This is the real practice: not escaping from life, but choosing where to place your attention within it.
That Part of You That Never Wavers
Here's what I know to be true: there is a part of you that is always calm and centred. Even when your busy mind is active, even when the world feels overwhelming, there is an everlasting essence within you that remains steady and whole.
This isn't some mystical concept. It's a practical reality you can access right now.
Think about it. You've been through challenges before. You've faced difficult days, overwhelming moments, times when everything felt chaotic. And yet, here you are. There's something in you that has remained constant through all of it.
The Choice is Always Yours
Every moment, you get to choose what to focus on. You can focus on the irritations and distractions, the to-do list spinning in your mind, the sounds around you, the stress in your body.
Or you can choose to focus on your breath, the stillness within, the space between thoughts, your calm, centred essence.
There's nothing bad or wrong about either choice. It's simply a choice.
A Simple Practice for Noisy Moments
When life gets loud, whether literally or figuratively, try this:
First, acknowledge what's happening. Don't try to push away the noise, stress, or distractions. Give them your attention for a moment.
Then, find your anchor. Take your focus back to your breath. Send your next inhale to any area of tension as a warm glow of light, softness, and gentleness.
Now choose your focus. You can work with a mantra of I Am. Breathe in with "I," breathe out with "Am."
Finally, return again and again. Like training a puppy, gently guide your attention back to your chosen focus each time it wanders.
The Ripple Effect
Here's the beautiful thing about choosing calm: it doesn't just affect you. When you tap into that still well within yourself, when you choose presence over reactivity, it creates ripples that touch everyone around you.
Your calm becomes contagious. Your centred presence gives others permission to find their own peace. Your choice to focus on stillness rather than chaos changes the energy of every interaction you have.
Moving Off the Hamster Wheel
Before our meditation session, you might have been on that familiar hamster wheel, thinking about your to-do list, feeling the pressure of everything that needs to get done. But notice what can happen in just 10, 20 or 30 minutes of choosing differently.
I bet you that whilst the list didn't disappear, your relationship to it changed. You remembered that you have true power. Not the power to control external circumstances, but the power to choose where you place your attention.
Your Daily Practice
You don't need a meditation cushion or a quiet room to practice this. You can choose calm in traffic when someone cuts you off, during a difficult conversation, when your phone buzzes with another demand, in the middle of a stressful workday, when the world feels overwhelming.
This is true power: the ability to find your calm centre when life gets noisy.
The Invitation
So here's what I'd love you to try today: start noticing where you place your attention. When chaos arises (and it will), remember that you have a choice. You can choose to be pulled into the noise, or you can choose to tap into that everlasting essence within you that remains calm and centred.
The doorbell will ring. The dog will bark. Life will be life.
And in that moment, you'll remember: you always have the power to choose.
What will you choose?