To become mindfully aware of our surroundings is to bring our thinking back to our present moment reality and to the possibility of some semblance of serenity in the face of circumstances outside our ability to control.
Meditation allows us to deal with life as it is rather than looking at it and comparing it with how we think it's supposed to be.
The ego always needs to be 'doing,' and repeating a mantra guides my mind to a deeper, less active experience.
The intention that naturally exists: 'My intention is to get done with this commute.' So I've just doomed myself to an hour of discomfort, because my intention will not be met until I get out of the car.
When you fit meditation into your day, you bring much more of yourself to all the other hours of your day - you bring your whole self rather than your stressed-out self.
We can go through our five senses in about a minute's time to become grounded in the present; and we can do this anytime we find ourselves in worry or speculation. Becoming grounded in our present makes us available to happiness.
We can say, 'OK, I'm going to be in the car for an hour; what can I do to improve my quality of life during that hour?'
The opposite of speculation is to be present to the world simply as it is.
When traveling, we continually are 'discovering' what our day will be. We are in a new environment, perhaps a different culture, interacting with strangers who might have different priorities than we ourselves have.
Racing thoughts was the biggest hurdle to consistent meditation for me. I could sit down, but then I was left with this interior world of thoughts.
I could actually be wasting my time by not meditating, as I'd be more stressed out.
