Live in the moment. This is the main point of Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now. It was released in the late 1990's and was an instant bestseller. Soon after he released it, the book was translated into 33 dialects. It also sold more than 2.5 million copies in North America. As a result, Eckhart Tolle became one of the top spiritual authors in the world. He is so effective that other writers quote him in their works. In his book, there are tips and guidelines provided by spiritual leaders, focus exercises, meditation guidelines and methods to achieve positive thought. Here are some lessons we learned from The Power of Now.
The most precious thing in the world is the present moment
Eckhart indicates that the present moment is all that we have. We are so caught up in our daily tasks to notice the fleeting moments of life. According to this author, there is no future or past. There is only memory or anticipation. The things that happened in the past give us an identity and the future is simply full of promise. Promise can take the form of fulfillment, salvation or deliverance. These are intangible and therefore simply illusions. One of the most common sayings is that time is precious. Actually, it is also simply an illusion. The factor that we consider precious is not the time but the point in that time. Eckhart calls it the Now and encourages us to stop fixating on the future or the past and focus on the Now.
Suggested Reading : A Quick and Effective Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now
Wherever you go, ensure that you are there totally
One of the main lessons taught by Eckhart is to be totally present in any situation you find yourself. This means that your mind should not wander. Your focus should be on the present moment and the people or activities that you are involved with at that particular time. If you find that you do not enjoy your present, there are three activities that you can perform. You can either move away from the present situation, make a change in it or simply accept it. These three options allow you to take control of your life. By picking one of them, you are effectively taking responsibility for your life. This means that you are ready to accept the consequences of your choices.
Say yes to the present
When you mention acceptance to someone, they immediately imagine that it is a simply passive state. They feel as though you are telling them to give up on their opinions and accept the conditions around them. According to Eckhart, acceptance is not defeat, simply peace and consciousness. This is because when you accept, you can act upon your situation. You are filled with renewed energy to keep going or create a new plan of action. Complete acceptance means that you embrace your situation as though you had chosen it yourself. The author of this book indicates that one of the most pointless things is waging an internal battle with what already exists. Surrender to your present life now and then begin recreating it with peace and energy.
Suggested Reading : 8 Simple Tips on How to Celebrate Small Wins Daily
Purpose to focus on positive things more than negative ones
It is human nature to protect ourselves. In this way, we instinctively focus on the negative that could happen more than the positive which is happening. This is a fight or flight response. When this is left uncontrolled, we find our minds filled with negative thought most of the time. This leads to anxiety, anger, sorrow, despondence, apathy, despair and hopelessness. As a matter of fact, when you constantly think about negative things, you begin to attract them. Thus, Eckhart encourages us to change this perception. Think positive to experience positive. Moreover, positive thinking keeps you healthy by preventing stress.
Don't complain, adapt
Do your best to avoid complaining. This is evidence that you are not accepting your situation in order to change it for the better. Complaining is negative in nature. It makes you turn into a victim and also makes you look like a negative person. If the current situation does not suit you, there are only two choices. You can either speak up and point out the problem for it to be fixed or leave the situation permanently. Everything else is pointless. The choice is yours.
Let go of your past so that it doesn't ruin your present or your future
Almost everyone has done a few things in their past that they are not proud of. There could be some disagreements with friends or family. Holding on to these negative experiences normally does more harm than good to us. It corrupts our hearts and we can easily get lost in the negativity of the past. If this happens, we jeopardise our future. Instead of going down this road, we are supposed to simply honor our pasts. According to Eckhart, this is the first step towards forgiving ourselves. After we have done this, we are free to embrace and experience the future confidently.
Suggested Reading : 20 Simple but Powerful Ways to Stop Your Limiting Beliefs Right Now
Live in the present to avoid the unpleasantness of an emotional rollercoaster
One of the fundamental parts of a human being is the emotions. These are also referred to as feelings. They guide how we react or respond to situations around us. Examples of emotions are happiness, love, sadness and hate. Eckhart indicates that one of the facts of life is good and bad seasons. They are part of the universal duality. When the good season comes, we are happy. On the other hand, when the bad season comes, we experience sadness and desire eternal happiness. Of course this desire is illogical because we must experience some bad seasons as a result of the principle of duality. This results in frustration and more sadness. The author gives us a way out through the skill of focusing on the present. By accepting what is going on now in your life, you are able to have power over how you respond to it. In this way, you can decide which emotions you want to feel in the present moment. This prevents you from experiencing negative ones during any season of your life.
The Important Take Away
By living in the current moment, we are able to experience relaxation and freedom. The worries of the past and the future become irrelevant. Whenever we are truly in the now, we are left free to decide how we want to feel, act and perceive the world around us. Eckhart indicates that this helps us to fully accept our current situation and gain power over it. Some lessons from his book are indicated above. They are gems of wisdom that are very helpful when applied correctly in your life.
