The power of now is a self help book by Eckhart Tolle. Eckhart says that humans no longer need to rely on our primitive brains. There is only one thing that will destroy us. That thing is our mind. Our minds in modern society are structured to destroy us.
I never really considered the concept covered in this book which is being in the now. You always hear about staying in the moment and living a day at a time. I always thought this was to just take your mind off of things that you worry about, but Eckhart Tolle goes more into depth as to why this is important.
The Pain Body Vs The Thinking Body
He says that there is a pain body and the thinking mind. The pain body is the any pain that you justify to yourself. Just because you think your are experiencing pain doesn’t mean that you have to identify with it and let it become part of who you are.
The thinking mind is when you overthink everything. You shouldn’t overthink everything. If you find yourself just worrying about stuff, then you need to calm down and accept your current position
The whole book is about accepting the now. (Want to read more about this. I recommend the book by Richard Bandler Get The Life You Want By Richard Bandler Book Summary )
The Future & The Past
One way to do this is stop thinking about the future and stop living in the past. Many people are stuck living in the future or the past. They worry about what is going to happen in their future. They worry about money or whether or not they will have friends. If they aren’t worrying about the future, they look in their past and regret what they did or didn’t do.
This part was really shocking to me. It’s hard not to be constantly reflecting on the past or the future. Most people do this because we are conditioned to do it in today’s society. We are taught to be constantly preparing for college or doing well in school. Once we graduate, we are supposed to immediately start worrying about our career and making money.
Once we get a good career, we are supposed to start worrying about getting a family.
Then it’s a house.
Then it’s retirement.
If you mess any of those things up, then you will live in regret.
Many people also worry about having the right conditions before starting anything or pursuing anything. Conditions will never be perfect. That’s not the nature of the world.
You need to accept your conditions now and start moving forward.
The past and the future don’t exist
Another thing Eckhart says in order to keep you in the present is that there is no future or past. Life is only a series of present moments.
The power of now vs other self help advice
The power of now most closely resembles mindfulness. Mindfulness tries to keep you in the present moment. Mindfulness tries to get you to observe your thoughts and not identify with them. Eckhart’s book describes this in much more detail. He talks about how trying to identify with your thoughts will keep you in a constant whirlwind.
In order to keep a calm mind and live in the now, you need to distance yourself from your thoughts. Don’t integrate yourself with your thoughts. Our ego is a collection of our thoughts that we’ve identified with over time.
Can You Enjoy Life If You Live In The Present All The Time?
Eckhart states that just because you live in the now, doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams or not plan.
You can still enjoy life.
You will more likely enjoy life because you will be more present in all your relationships and interactions. It’s important that when you plan that you don’t get too attached to a certain outcome. Don’t get attached to fame or money in the future because then you will just develop an attachment that will destroy you mentally.
Another author that speaks about this is Scott Adams. He says that you shouldn’t set goals. Instead you should improve skills. If you have enough great skills, then you will become successful.
Another book that speaks about the hazards of setting goals is Irresistible.
Do Relationships Matter If You Live In The Now
One of the things I was wondering about when listening to this audiobook was what about relationships. Eckhart mentions that relationships are still possible, but you must realize that they aren’t going to solve your problems. Many people look to family and loved ones as the purpose of life. Eckhart says that this isn’t the case. Everything you need is in yourself. We need human relationships, but you should not look to them to solve your problems.
You already have everything you need.
We are born with everything we need in our souls according to Eckhart. I believe this as well. This will help you live in the now. If you believe that you are already complete, you will stop searching for solutions and other areas of life to fulfill you. You will be ok with the present moment. This is a key insight into learning to live in the now.
Steven Pressfield also speaks about this in the War of Art. The War Of Art Book Summary
Listen To Nothing
Sitting in silence is another way to live in the now. Too many people have too many distractions and aren’t connected to themselves. In order to better live in the now, you need to sit in silence. That is where God is living. This is something that Eckhart calls the unmanifested. Practice doing nothing and sitting in silence.
