"Time isn't precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed."
Now this is a book that is a little more challenging but very much worth it. It's not one you just easily read away. I took my time and wanted to really think about what was written in it.
Eckhard supports this by intentionally adding pause signs in between texts to indicate when to take a minute to let the described sink in.
This is one of those books, I will have to re-read over the years and will probably learn a lot more each time I do so. Eckhart Tolle has such a brilliant mind.
Here two example passages out of the book:
"To be identified with your mind is to be trapped in time: the compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation. This creates an endless preoccupation with past and future and unwillingness to honor and acknowledge the present moment and allow it to be."
( Pause )
"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 nonforgivingness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence."
( Pause )
These are powerful statements and in his book he explains them in more detail.
My most memorable passage was an analogy about being stuck in the mud and to surrender to what-is to free yourself. To surrender in this case doesn't mean to give up. Quite the contrary. He compares it with being stuck in the mud. To surrender to the situation doesn't mean to accept that you are stuck in the mud and leave it as is. It means to stop the monkey head of what-ifs, why does this happen to me, and other downward spirals. Instead accept that you are now in that situation, accept the feeling of anger, analyze the fact of why you got there, but then go forward and find a way to get out of the mud. Accept your mistake, accept your feeling about it, but then move forward and learn from it. Don't be stuck in the past or you may as well stay stuck in the mud.
About the author
Eckhart Tolle is a German-born most inspiring and visionary spiritual teacher and self-help author.
"Eckhart’s profound, yet simple teachings have helped countless people around the globe experience a state of vibrantly alive inner peace in their daily lives. His teachings focus on the significance and power of Presence, the awakened state of consciousness, which transcends ego and discursive thinking. Eckhart sees this awakening as the essential next step in human evolution."
Source: https://eckharttolle.com/about/
Book Content Overview
You are not your mind
Consciousness: The way out of pain
Moving deeply into the Now
Mind strategies for avoiding the Now
Beyond happiness and unhappiness there is peace
The meaning of surrender
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, I truly would. It's a very eye opening and believe challenging book. It deserves the ranking of 4.2 out of 5 stars on goodreads.com with amazing 308,044 votes. This book will stop you in your fast tracks and make you reflect on your life, mindset, reflections of life.
Where to find him?
Instagram: @eckharttolle
Website: https://eckharttolle.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EckhartTeachings
Books:
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Stillness Speaks: Whispers of Now
Oneness With All Life: Inspirational Selections from A New Earth
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