When we first practice meditation, we don’t begin “properly.” We begin as we are. We may even begin in a somewhat distorted or confused way. Having no idea how to begin properly, you begin somehow or other. You just do it. People are often bothered by this haphazard way of beginning. They are looking for perfection right from the start. But there is no such thing. You have to start on the spot with the confusion and the imperfection. Spontaneity begins with the clumsiness, the imperfection, by making a fool of oneself. Let us be fools; let us do it!
From “Spontaneous Discipline,” in Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness, page 85.