Okay, I actually just commented this on someone's post but I think a lot of guys here who are struggling with confidence issues or anxiety could get some life changing stuff out of it as I did...

Meditation has changed my life. It's improved every aspect of my personality and well-being. I'm better with women, more comfortable with myself, better at dealing with problems, and HAPPIER. I think everyone should try it.

I meditate just about every day and starting mindfulness meditation saved my life when I was super-depressed and anxious this past winter. I was first introduced to it 3 years ago by a friend I met when traveling in Malaysia. He was from Spain, had been vacationing in Thailand for a few months. He went on a visa run to Myanmar and ended up checking out a monastery. The monks told him he could stay there for free if he practiced meditation while he was there. So he said fuck it and gave it a shot. I met him just after he'd left the monasteries, 6 months later!

He ended up going back to Spain and starting a meditation workshop there. I actually just got back from chilling in Barcelona and attending his workshop. The dude is the most leveled-out person I've ever met. You know those 'oh shit' moments when someone tells you something you've never realized and suddenly all kinds of shit makes sense? Or everything is suddenly much more simple than you imagined? This guy drops those moments on me like every couple of hours when we hang lol

Anyways, one thing he told me way back when I first learned was that there are a million different types of meditation and no one way is right or wrong. It's about what works for YOU. Playing guitar is meditation. Listening to music is meditation. Walking through the woods and focusing on the sounds, sights, and smells is meditation. Traditional meditation is important, but there are other methods to supplement with as well.

Myself, I had a lot of trouble concentrating at first. I did the "focus meditation" (staring at the wall) mentioned above but with a lit candle in front of me. Concentrating on the movements the flame made. This was okay, but I still lost concentration and focus frequently.

Eventually I started trying guided meditation. I think this is the best option for beginners. Just go to YouTube on your phone, search 'mindfulness meditation' and pick a 10-20 minute one. I like a lot of the vids from a channel called 'MindfulPeace'.

Put on some headphones, blindfold yourself, and sit or lie down. The music can be a little cheesy, but just go with it.

I did those guided meditations for a couple months before attending my friends workshop last month. Now I can do traditional meditations like the body scan, four elements, etc.

As mentioned, mindfulness meditation is about learning to A.) Become comfortable with your body and mind (which as an added bonus, gives TONS of confidence) B.) Learn to recognize destructive or negative thoughts and dismiss them easily C.) Learn literally control your thoughts D.) Learn to view things without emotion or irrational thoughts E.) become more focused/determined/driven F.) Be more relaxed (it will surprise you how relaxed you become after the FIRST session alone) both physically and mentally, thus moving slower and more confidently--appear cooler (this feeling becomes more long-term the more you meditate).

I could keep going forever. It's been unbelievable to me how effective meditation has been in so many aspects of my life I didn't expect. I still get angry at times, but I never get overwhelmed by it anymore. I recognize it and tear down the situation unemotionally to see how to fix it or move past it. I sleep like a baby. I'm more confident. My anxiety has all but completely disappeared. I am becoming comfortable with parts of myself I've ALWAYS been self conscious about (my height, my weight, etc).

F***ing meditate. Now. Do it. Keep doing it. If you think you suck at it, it doesn't matter. You'll get better. If you're sitting and taking the time to do it, you're not sucking at it even if you can't concentrate at first. You're learning. Every time you meditate you get better at it. Good luck :)