Read The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. It will answer all your questions about meditation, how and why it works, what method is the best for you, etc. You can buy it here.
It can be everything: barking dog, laughing children, loud TV, etc. Just concentrate on all the sounds you can hear without any evaluation. In some time you will feel calmer in noisy places.
You can do it on the go as well as while the formal meditation.
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