Meditation has a lot to do with mindfulness, and mindfulness has to do with being aware, and awareness has a lot to do with the condition we are in.  Particularly with our emotional and attitudinal condition, be it stress, or depression, or anxiety, or resentment, or victimization…..  It is no small accomplishment in this noisy culture to simply be aware of our state of mind.  The first and most important step to addressing any problem is to recognize it.  Meditation and mindfulness help to give us an awareness of our condition from a perspective that transcends it.  And from that vantage point we can, if we are honest and fearless, realize our part in choosing the mood we are in.  When mindfulness and awareness begin to help us realize the power we have over our emotional and physical state, we begin the empowerment of self-determining our disposition.  This is, in my opinion, no small endeavor, and for me a tremendous challenge, but the reward includes freedom and self-determination over the most intimate and encompassing aspect of our conscious lives: our peace of mind.