I have a Super Power: the ability to read a book whose message I need to hear right at that moment.
And of course, it’s always a book that someone mentions to me in passing, or that I notice on my bookshelf but hadn’t read yet.
This time the book came from my yoga studio. It was in a stack of five books that someone left behind for others to read.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle.
“You never read that book before, Maureen?!” you might say, incredulously…Correct.
Of course, I’ve heard people talk about it for years (it was published in 1999). But I never thought it was important enough for me to read.
Boy was I wrong!
I’m glad I “discovered” it now, because if I’d read this book a few years ago, I don’t think the message would resound so intensely as it does now.
I find myself Instagramming parts of the book. And others are responding. The messages are that powerful!
The message is coming at a perfect time. Lately, I’ve been feeling anxious, a bit overwhelmed. When I am going through a growth spurt in my career, stretching beyond, expanding outside of my little puddle, I get thrill. At first. But then, when the reality of what I’m about to do sets in, when it starts getting real, I feel somewhat panicked. Perhaps you have the same experience?
Right now, I am working on the final edits of my own book (which is about raising consciousness, of course!). This is my first traditionally-published book. A real benchmark in my life. Something that I’ve been striving towards for about nine years!
And then, I’m hit with ridiculous doubts about my work. Is it good enough? What will “they” think? Am I making a fool of myself?
Ah, the ego plays mind games. The ego wants to be safe. It wants to feel secure in my little puddle.
As Eckhart Tolle says,
“All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”
When the ego is threatened, it will try to keep us in our past (which is our identity and accumulation of experiences that make up our identity) or it will keep us in the future, with worry and anxiety for experiences which may or may not happen.
The ego is keeping me from experiencing the “now.” Enjoying the precious moments of my life. The blog post I want to write, the website that requires my attention, webinars to plan and create.
And then there’s my dog that I will walk. Groceries to put away. Dinner to prepare. Laundry to finish.
As Eckhart says, it’s not the “what” we need to change, it’s the “how” we are doing it that needs to change. Rather than thinking about my to-do list and fretting over the lack of “time,” I need to feel what I am currently doing with all my being.
So that’s what I’m doing right now, with this article. Enjoying the warmth of the radiator next to my desk. The smell of the fresh flowers I just bought today. The feel of my fingers on the keyboard and the taste of that delicious sandwich I made. All while the sun is overhead, beckoning me to walk Sadie among the snow-filled streets.
You can experience your now, too. Awaken your senses. Take a sweet breath and feel the chair you are sitting in. Notice the solidness of the floor beneath your feet, the experience of the clothes on your skin. Notice the scents in the air in the room you are in. Are there several scents or one dominating smell? The taste of your last food or drink. Notice the quality of light, either natural or manmade. The colors and shapes, artwork, and objects in your view.
You are experiencing your now. Allow these moments to linger and return as often as you can throughout your day. Remember, it’s the “how” not the “what” you are doing. Do whatever you are doing with presence.
And now as I finish, I give gratitude for this moment. A time that can never be replaced. So precious. So satisfying. Namaste.
Reader Interactions