As I mentioned in the…
last post I am now reading, or re-reading the first half, and will be reading the second half for the first time, Lol, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
I read something yesterday that got me thinking. It’s not what I read, it’s that I had talked about something similar not too long ago. My point is that something stuck!
But between then and now, I had forgotten. I have also mentioned the fact that we humans, need to be reminded of our growth, our progress, our value because each moment is like a new existence, an opportunity to be better than we were a moment ago.
On page seventy, Tolle writes, “Die to the past every moment. You don’t need it. Only refer to it when it is absolutely relevant to the present.”
I can’t say with certainty now that I discovered on my own that each moment is a chance to start over. Did I read it in this book a decade or more ago? Or did I pull it out of the “collective human psyche” as Tolle calls it on page sixty-five?
I don’t know however, I am going to give all the credit to Mr. Tolle, and thank him for opening my eyes, again.
Show Rather Than Tell
A couple of weeks after I reacquainted myself with the concept of “observing” oneself in order to be in the moment. I decided to share it with my eighteen-year-old granddaughter. She was telling me what an over thinker she was, and I saw an opportunity.
Mistake. She just saw her Grandma sharing some old wisdom that no longer worked in these modern times, Lol.
I knew it wasn’t the time, but I just couldn’t stop myself from talking because I was so excited.
Telling takes seconds, minutes, and may or may not stick.
Showing also takes a minute but lasts a lifetime; the lesson(s) repeated many times over without saying a word will make those around you sense the value in what you are unknowingly teaching.
Slow and Steady
There are a lot of moments in a day. 86,400 of them to be exact. A lot of chances to stumble, see what you could do better, try again, and eventually get it right.
I feel like I’ve been on a carousel alternating between unconsciousness and consciousness from moment to moment for the past couple of weeks.
Could I do this for the rest of my life? Then I read, “Consequently, the watcher – pure consciousness beyond form – becomes stronger, and the mental formations become weaker,” on page eighty-three. I exhaled.
This past weekend I attended a birthday party. I was so focused on the party details (I was part of the party committee) that I forgot to get myself mentally ready. It was a chance for me to practice being present, self-aware, and as authentic as I could be.
And I didn’t realize until the day after that I did pretty well!
My fictional self didn’t make an appearance, I felt like myself, and my awareness level was probably at like an eight.
Although I have been practicing being present it felt like the experience just happened. Complacency is always just around the corner when beginning any practice.
This is just a reminder for me to remain vigilant.
Consistency Is the Key
Consistency is the key. Practice, discipline, and repetition are going to get you where you want to be.
We usually apply this practice to professional or fitness goals. To being a better parent, employee, or partner. And it’s easy to see the results of your hard work. There is value in your accomplishments.
A goal of being present is not something you talk about. It’s not something that most people will find worthy of putting their energy into. The belief is that because we are living, being present is a given. Not so.
However, when you are successful. When you can be where you are, be aware of everything outside of, and inside of you, everyone and everything around you come to life.
Others look at such a person as special. They don’t see that it’s something that they could be too. Historically this knowledge was considered esoteric and unattainable; something that is given to the chosen, the blessed.
It is in fact chosen.
What Are You Thinking? Feeling?
I’m sure most know how it feels to be present because of the ubiquity of meditation. We are familiar with the physical aspect of being in the moment, however, a relaxed body does not a quiet mind make. That is the challenge when meditating: stopping your mind from thinking.
Here’s a technique I saw online: Ask yourself, “Hmmm what am I going to think of next,” and your mind is instantly frozen.
The Power of Now guides the reader on how to observe themselves, which has the same results as the method above. That is your thoughts disappear.
But it also offers something extra: observing your feelings when you are in an emotional state. This propels your attention from your mind into your body and your feelings level off. Not an easy task.
Eventually, it will become easier for you to recognize when an emotional storm is coming because your awareness is like a beacon. You are the captain in charge of protecting your inner peace.
Living in the Now is like anything else. You practice until what you do becomes who you are.
“Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.”
Oprah
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