An empty mind is the mind of myth
Emptying one’s mind isn’t altogether possible. Our mind’s sole purpose is to help us survive; it accomplishes this by generating upwards of 50,000 thoughts daily. In meditation practice, they arise; unless we engage with them (like a dog chasing a car), they will ultimately fall away. Labeling thoughts helps them dissipate. This is the nature of our sitting practice.
There is no enlightenment reward
Waking up fully is a daily moment-by-moment practice. There is no Santa moment when we’re rewarded with the shiny bauble of enlightenment from another dimension or a higher being. When we consider it carefully, seeking enlightenment is yet another form of attachment or clinging — wanting things to be different than they are. Our sitting meditation practice is a reward in itself.