“Beginning meditation practice is an excellent opportunity to contemplate how we spend our time.  How much of what we do is important and truly necessary?  One of the obstacles to meditation is being pulled in too many directions.  What drains us; what nourishes us?  Are there activities we can postpone or eliminate?  It will be helpful to ask questions like these at the outset.  Awareness lays the ground for a strong commitment to practice.  Taming our mind isn’t a hobby or an extracurricular activity—it’s the most important thing we could be doing.  It can even help streamline a pressured situation because it gives us clarity, peace, and fortitude.  So while we may need to simplify our life in order to meditate, a benefit of meditation is that it will make our life simpler.” ~ Sakyong Mipham, Turning the Mind Into An Ally (Page 216)