I’m currently reading this book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle which centers on living in the present moment to find peace and emphasizing that things like anxiety and worry comes from dwelling on the past or future, and that true self is consciousness beyond the constant mind chatter. It’s seriously changing my life.
I took his advice seriously and realized that if one is constantly living in the past or future, then their life is not really being lived. I found myself always thinking of the past and always worried about the future.
Will I ever find real love? Will I ever have financial independence? Is this person still thinking about me? Does this person feel regret for hurting me like that? Will I become a successful filmmaker? Will I ever conquer perfectionism and my performance anxiety? I had all of these questions ruminating in my mind constantly. It was an endless loop.
Staying in the moment is the path to inner peace, freedom, and the next stage of human evolution and a useful antidote against anxiety and ensures that we are present for life’s gifts.
He also talked about transcending the ego and “pain-body,” accepting “what is,” cultivating inner stillness, finding peace through presence, and understanding that the “Now” is all we ever have, leading to a more liberated and awakened life. I started to feel more vividly aware of the pain body within myself and I am learning to recognize the triggers.
Everything Tolle talks about throws a light on the truth and it has made me less judgmental of those who act through their pain body. We are all but human, bound by human emotions and the pain body is old emotional pain that has not healed. It is wise to recognize the pain body of another, and wiser to forgive them for acting harshly.
So the key practices of staying in the noware basically to just observe your thoughts and watch your mind without judgment, feel the inner body and focus on the sensations within your physical form and then surrender to the now to accept the present moment fully. It takes practice, but with time, you can learn to just let go. Do not have worries about the future or regrets. Just be in the NOW.
Honestly, Vanessa 