Life is change: this moment is completely different from the previous one, which is nothing like the one I’ll experience by the time I reach the end of this sentence. And yet, we all cling in vain to that which we think is continuous and permanent.

What good would it do for me, right now, to dig in my heels and try to stop the changes that are taking place around me? Now, more than ever, I need to turn my attention inward. Otherwise, it is like the tiny man yelling at the massive stone wall: a waste of time, energy and opportunity.

Throughout the centuries, teachers have urged their students to look inside, to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” It’s a radical concept, especially in an over-caffeinated, hyper-accessible, work-till-you-drop society.

The thought of being able to close my eyes while sitting in the middle of a place like Times Square, simply being present (or, being simply present) while a swarm of humanity surrounds me, is unfathomable. I’ve watched in amazement as followers of Falun Gong have held meditation protests on crowded sidewalks in Manhattan, unfazed by the presence of thousands of people.

I understand the why. But how? I have the motivation to develop this type of inner insight, but do I have the will?