"Meditation takes practice. Relationships take practice. My teacher's teacher used to encourage his students by saying, "Poco a poco." Little by little. Whenever we are consciously aware of whatever we are doing right now, we are practicing. When we lose here-and-now awareness, we are practicing getting lost and then regrouping. But as the old sages say, you cannot get off the path. I can guarantee that you will be discouraged, at times; your best efforts may backfire, and sometimes you will be confused and filled with doubt. But if you are persistent, you will notice change, and you will be glad you kept going. I am sure you will surprise yourself at times with your authenticity and your insight. You will grow to trust yourself more, and because you do, you will be open in a deeper way to others. Most importantly, you will start to see beyond yourself. So be willing to practice in a way that works for you and understand that it is a path, not an outcome. There have been many times when I have failed my practice, but it has never failed me."