Recently I started reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I am learning so much not only about the topic of Now, but about myself and the way I think and feel. Though I'm not even half-way through the book yet, I have highlighted so many passages and taken quite a few pages of notes. I have been really impacted by this work and I believe almost anyone could benefit from reading it. I still have quite a bit more to read, but I'm really looking forward to learning more about how I can live in the present moment and embrace the "now." Here are some of the points that really resonated with me:
- Whenever possible, withdraw your attention from the past or future.
- Be at least as interested in your reactions to a situation as you are in the situation or person hat made you react.
- When you experience an emotion or thought, don't judge it.
- The present moment is all you have or will ever have.
- Your mind often creates an obsession with the future as an escape from an unsatisfactory present.
- True change can only occur now.
- Time, not situations, causes pain. Too much focus on the past or the future always causes negativity.
- All problems are illusions of the mind.
- How you do something is always more important than what you are doing.
- Don't look to the future for salvation or satisfaction.
- When you are experiencing emotions or thoughts, ask yourself, "What is going on inside me right now?"
- Leave a situation or accept it. All else is madness.
After I spent some time raving about The Power of Now yesterday, I picked up my beloved Kindle and continued reading. While I was still very interested in the content and the general messages of the book, I was shocked by the very religious tone the book began to take on. Initially the text focused on being present and living in the present moment and used examples that were general and related to everyday situations. However, as I continued to read, more and more examples included Jesus and biblical references, making it seem as if the book, deep down, has an agenda.
While I still fully believe that this book has a great deal to offer anyone and everyone (especially those who want to increase awareness and positivity in their lives by being present), I now have my doubts about the book's goal. That being said, an interesting lesson can be learned from this. Just because the book's goals may be religious in nature does not mean that those who do not want to focus on the religious aspects cannot learn from the book. I am a firm believer in learning from everything. No matter what your age, education level, or interest, you can always learn something new.
Learning new things, and being aware that there is always much to learn, can keep us grounded in the now. When we are present and observing the world and the world within us (our thoughts and emotions), there is so much we can learn. As I was reading yesterday and came to the fork in the book's road where it took a turn towards religion (and, more importantly, a very specific religion), I hesitated. I thought to myself, I went to Catholic school. I know about Jesus and the Bible and I really don't know what those stories can teach me about the Now. I was tempted to put the book down until I realized that, regardless of the book's underlying goal, the general purpose is to teach about the Now. For that reason, the teachings of Jesus and stories from the Bible must, in some way, relate to the concept of Now. I kept reading and, while I do think many of the references are a stretch, there continue to be very valid points made by the author in relation to being and staying present.
As I continue to read, I continue to learn and that, really, is the very reason I picked up the book (or downloaded the book to my Kindle) in the first place. I am expanding my knowledge of what it means to be present and the words I am reading, while they may not be tailored to my particular spiritual beliefs, are helping me to think more about how I can live in the moment.
Comments