Are we aware of our presence in our life? Sometimes I find myself slipping out of the present and removing the reality that is now. I recently listened to the Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now audio book and I was revitalized by the wisdom and teaching that he shared to stay in the present moment and to enjoy it.
There were many key takeaways from the Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now audio book, and I would like to share the ones that resonated with me the most.
My notes from Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now audio book
All our perceptions begin with what we think. If this is true, then we must monitor how we think in order to fully enjoy life and live present in the moment.
Being free of constant thoughts in our mind and be able to turn it off whenever we want to.
Creativity, love, peace, beauty, joy, inner peace all arise from beyond the mind.
Creativity starts when we stop thinking.
In many instances in life, what people say, think and do are motivated by fear.
To be fully engaged, in the moment doing something, ask yourself, “Is there joy, ease and lightness in what I am doing?” If the answer is no, you may need to change HOW you are doing it. Look closer at the act of doing it rather than the result.
Loosening your expectations of happiness
- Maintaining a playful, joyous, energy behind what you do.
- Not being attached to the thought that anyone or anything will make you happy.
- No longer feel the need to pursue your goals with grim determination
- No longer driven by fear, anger, discontent, need to become someone.
- Won’t remain inactive through fear of failure (loss of self)
Eckhart Tolle explains that when your deeper sense of self is derived from being, and you are free of becoming as a psychological need then neither your happiness or sense of self depends on the outcome. You are then free from fear.
You no longer demand that situations, conditions, people, places should make you happy. You no longer will suffer when they don’t live up to your expectations. Nothing real can be threatened.
Time and Presence
One question was asked in the discussion of presence, “How can I say I am free from time?”
Tolle answered, “Every cell in your body is vibrant with life and you can feel that life every moment as the joy of being. Then it can be said you can be free of time.”
To know that you are not present is presence.
The best indicator of your level of consciousness is how you deal with life challenges. When they arrive, do you use them to awaken you or pull you into a deeper sleep?
Your inner state of thought and emotion
Buddha quote “The root of suffering can be found in our constant wanting and craving”
How can we be free of the thought afflictions that inhabit our minds?
Making them conscious. Observe the many ways in which unease, discontent and tension arise within you through unnecessary judgement, resistance to what is and denial of the now.
Monitoring your self emotional state
Asking yourself, “Am I at ease in this moment?” What is going on inside me at this moment?
Any negative inner state is contagious. How can we drop negative emotions? Let go of it. Once we realize we have a choice that we don’t want or need them.
Presence
Ask yourself what problem you have right now, not tomorrow, next month, etc.
Does the past take up a great deal of your attention? This produces guilt, pride, resentment, self pity, anger, regret. It creates a false sense of self.
Die to the past every moment and only refer to it when it is relevant to the present. You can always cope with the now but not the future.
Constantly thinking about the future takes you out of the present. Example: “One day I’ll make it.”
The constant thought of waiting for retirement, children to grow up to start living. You want the future, you don’t want the present. You then lose the present.
When you fully accept what you’ve got you are grateful for what you have and what is. You are then in the moment and present, being.
Achievement and Goals
The mistake in setting goals and trying to achieve them comes when using them as a substitute for the feeling of life and being.
The only thing real about your journey is the step you are taking at this moment.
If the steps to achievement take so much attention than the steps you are taking now, then you are missing your inner purpose.
The inner journey has only one step which is now.
Success is a natural effect of doing what you love. Enjoyment does not come at the end, but throughout the journey.
Your outer purpose cannot give you lasting fulfillment. We develop an unrealistic expectation that it should make you happy.
- You find yourself by coming into the present
Deep consciousness comes when we embrace the thought of being in action and cannot imagine living without rich clarity, passion, joy and fulfillment.
I realized many misconceptions that I held in regards to living and functioning each day and why I could not fully enjoy each moment.
Some of the life presence aspects I am focusing my efforts on are;
- eliminating the noises in my mind through daily meditation
- consistently asking the question, “Is my mind here now or stuck in the past or future?”
- Be more aware of what I am doing in the moment and ensure I am enjoying it. If not, change how I am doing it.
- Change my expectations of achievement. Enjoy the journey by being grateful for what I am learning now, doing now and taking action now. Not waiting to be inspired or continuous planning of action.
- Maintaining a true sense of self by having a mindset for the present. Not allowing myself to immerse my thoughts in the past or future thereby creating fear and negative emotions.
My mind races with the perspective of positive changes with newly learned thoughts and the opportunity to take action on them. Having the presence to be present now. Realizing that a target and achievement are good to have but can only be reached with the moment I am in now. Appreciating the steps I am taking and to enjoy them as they are all important life moments.
“The only thing real about the journey are the steps you are taking at this moment.” – Kristin Larsen
Guy Close
Nicely written
Kristin Larsen
Guy, thank you and I appreciate your comments.