I decided not to kill the sound on my laptop before I started meditating during the workday, right before lunch. Much like how we exposed my daughter to as much sound as possible at all times when she was a baby so she'd drop like a hat in the middle of the mall, I want to be able to meditate pretty much anywhere. If it's going to be handy, it needs to be portable.

When I began sitting, I heard the chip of Tweetdeck. I felt annoyance rise, and sort of an insistence, too. In my line of work, paying attention to social media is required to do the job, so it's hard to find that balance between being engaged and being alone with yourself.

I allowed myself a thought: I'm going to sit here until Tweetdeck sounds like the birds outside. 

I really wanted to be able to hear that chirp and not have some sort of physical stress reaction to it. I feel pulled in so many directions all the time -- it can be very overwhelming to me. I love what I do, but I think it's only human to long for some peace and quiet even when there isn't peace and quiet. Perhaps that's what my mind can give me -- peace and quiet in the middle of chaos.

I didn't count the chirps. I tried very hard not to pay attention to the chirps. After what was probably ten minutes, they didn't seem as loud because I'd started concentrating on the sound of the space heater instead. I didn't cease to hear them, but I was able to stop tensing up every time I heard either Tweetdeck or my email ding.

I also realized all that stuff dings an awful lot, and really, no wonder I'm nuts. I ended feeling more relaxed and immediately shut off Tweetdeck. Focusing is nearly impossible when something is dinging at you.