In isolation it’s a wow, but there are times I still suffer from emotional trauma and anxiety. Building mind muscle is tougher because the outcome is very transient - I would probably get one such scanty feeling in a week. But the secret is to persevere till your last breath because we all have fault lines.
You can only focus on the process and hope the outcome will happen. You can meditate but there is no guarantee that you will be at peace after that. The Dalai Lama even at his age & stature meditates for 3 - 4 hrs every day against my 10 mnts. Most of us think of meditation as sitting in lotus pose and finding a corner and cushion and many other accessories i.e .the right environment. But it’s actually an act of concentration which removes all clutter and brings your mind to focus on your breathing. I learnt about the power of breathing and mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh and his book The miracle of mindfulness.
While I started on this a long time ago - in recent years what has helped his short meditation & deep breathing to control anger / anxiety or just letting go. There are also these zen like moments when I cook, or read a book or listen to music when your life seems to be flowing like a river uninterrupted. Even if these moments are scanty they are worth waiting for.
An old Zen saying says "Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water; After enlightenment chop wood, carry water".
Day 22: 200 words/day challenge (262 words - barely made it. Phew!!)
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