I have been reading a very powerful book by Eckhart Tolle called, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. It is absolutely changing the way I think. I am realizing that I am rarely truly living in the present. I am going through life worrying about the past or thinking about and planning for the future. Eckhart challenges us to live in the now, really be present. Think about what is happening when you are driving. Have you ever gotten somewhere and not remembered anything about trip? That is living unconsciously, living in the mind.

Eckhart discusses how we think we are our minds, but we are not. We listen to what our minds have to say, even though what the mind is saying is often very untrue. You know what I am talking about. That voice that says, ‘you are so stupid’, ‘you should have known better’, ‘you are fat, ugly’,etc. Our minds often have a way of wandering and not allowing us to enjoy life to the fullest. How can we enjoy what we are doing if our minds are off in different places or telling us things that are not true?

I have been challenging myself to live in each moment and it is hard! I will be really present and then suddenly, I realize I am off somewhere else. What Mr. Tolle says to do, is to recognize that the mind took over again and just go back to being present. My instinct is to criticize myself for spacing out and not staying present, but that would be letting the mind take over again. Try closing your eyes for a moment and clear your thoughts. Then, wait for the next thought that comes to mind. How long does it take? It usually takes longer than we expect. If we stop and turn off the mind for a little while, we get a needed break!

Another thing Eckhart discusses is that when we are really present, we realize that we have no problems. Stop right now and think about whether you actually have a problem right this second. Do you? Probably not. You may have a problem that will need to be dealt with soon, but is it really a problem right now? This realization made me take a deep breath of relief. We are not our problems. We are not what happened in the past. We are not what is to come. We are only what is right now. Sometimes we do have problems right now. Sometimes these are really bad problems. Stop, accept that you have a problem now, and do your best to handle it and move to the next now.

We can get so caught up in the past or future that we do not deal what is happening now. When we don’t handle and accept problems in the now, when they occur, they accumulate and become what Eckhart calls, “the pain body”. If you are dealing with chronic pain or chronic illness, this is a concept you should consider exploring more. Check out this post to understand what he is talking about. We know illness often has emotional ties and this helps to explain why.

As I strive to live more presently, I am realizing that I can live life even more fully. I don’t have to deal with everything at once. I can let go of the past and the future right now. I can do what needs to be done now and that is all. How freeing is that? I can listen more intently when people are speaking to me, because that is all there is at that moment. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make goals and strive for them, but once the goal is set, enjoy each moment on the journey. It is the present moment on the journey that we can do something about.

Take a break! Live in the now. It is all we really have.

How does this make you feel? Can you do it? I challenge you to give it a try. Be sure to post your comments and questions below and share this information. What would the world be like if we all stopped and were present with every moment?