Practicing the Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

Have you ever stopped to think about how death feels like? Plato had.

Among his many ideas, he said that the soul is immortal, and for it there would be no possible escape from its evils, no salvation, except to become better and wiser.

Furthermore, death would mean to have a soul disconnected and set apart from the body. In “Practicing the Power of Now”, the author Eckhart Tolle proposes the same idea.

Tolle believes that we are eternal, as there is a One Life that goes beyond the world of forms, our “real” world, and death. In this One Life, there is only Now because time is an illusion where the past no longer exists and the future is a lie.

By reading this book summary, “The power of Now” and to live forever will be in your hands to discover.

The book “Practicing the Power of Now”

The book "Practicing the Power of Now" was published on September 1st, 2001, by the New World Library publishing house.

The work has 128 pages divided into three parts: accessing the power of now, relationship as spiritual practice, and acceptance and surrender.

Who is Eckhart Tolle?

Eckhart Tolle is the pseudonym of Ulrich Leonard Tolle, a German writer graduated from the University of London and a researcher at London University of Cambridge In addition to being an expert in the art of study of the inner self and focused on the importance of spiritual transformation for a better quality of life.

He has also written 6 fantastic works, including his biggest success “The Power of Now”, and it was extremely recognized on the show of the American presenter Oprah Winfrey.

Why should I read “Practicing the Power of Now”?

The book “Practicing the Power of Now” is for you who want to find the strength and ability to change and elevate not only your life, but the world as well.

In addition, it's an excellent read for leaders who want to learn the hands-on way of “The Power of Now” in order to increase the positivity of their teams.

What can I learn from “Practicing the Power of Now”?

• There is a One Life, eternal and always present, besides the countless forms of life subject to birth and death;
• Only serenity can turn your mind to the Now;
• All problems are illusions of the mind;
• Get used to monitoring your mental and emotional state through self-observation;
• A creative mind is full of serenity;
• Fear doesn't move us, it holds us back.

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Part I – Accessing the Power of Now

For Tolle, there is a One Life, eternal and ever-present, beyond the countless forms of life that are subject to birth and death. Sometimes ‘God’ is the word used to describe it, but he uses the word ‘Being’.

However, both ‘God’ and ‘Being’ are words that explain nothing. ‘Being’, however, can even be considered an open concept. We often end up far away from this Being and to regain awareness of Him, we need to submit to “sense awareness”, also known as enlightenment.

But, the word enlightenment conveys an idea of ​​superiority that pleases the ego, but it is simply the natural state of feeling at one with the Being. Being a state of connection with something immeasurable and indestructible.

However, as we are not always enlightened, the inability to feel this connection arises which gives rise to an illusion of separation, both from yourself and from the world around you. This creates such a great disquiet that it prevents us from being serene.

The mental noise incessant prevents us from finding the area of ​​inner serenity, which is inseparable from the Self. This causes the mind to create a false inner self that casts a shadow of fear and suffering over us.

How many times has mental noise generated noise in the communication you establish in your professional and personal life?

This noise creates fears, whether it's losing, failing, hurting us, but ultimately all fears boil down to one: the ego's fear of death and destruction.

Tolle's advice is: die to the past at every moment.

You can always face the Now, but you can never face the future or change your pace. The answer, the strength, the right attitude will be there when you need it, not before or after.

So here are some tips for you to put into practice:

• Become very aware of the moment and be fully present;
• Check the degree of peace within you;
• Observe your emotion, or rather feel it in your body;
• Get into the habit of asking what is happening to you right now;
• The answers to your problems should always be calm and creative;
• Make Now the main focus of your life;
• The key to the secret is to end the illusion of time, for time and mind are inseparable;
• Focus your attention on the Now and see what your problems are right now.

Part II – Relationship as Spiritual Practice

Author Eckhart Tolle states that most human suffering is unnecessary. Our superficial mind governs us to such an extent that it creates a form of punishment: non-acceptance, a form of unconscious resistance to what is.

At the thought level, resistance is a form of judgment. On the emotional level, it is a form of negativity.

Therefore, the human being tends to be escapist, since the mind always tries to deny and escape from the Now. Anyone who drank alcohol or used drugs to get “high” knows that high turns to low, that pleasure turns into some form of suffering.

Suffering comes in two forms: inactive and active. Suffering can be inactive 90 percent of the time, or 100 percent activated in someone who is deeply unhappy.

There are those who go through life almost entirely filled with suffering, while others go through it on occasional occasions.

Tolle is adamant that unless you tap into the conscious frequency of presence, all your relationships, especially the most intimate ones, will be deeply flawed.

But, how to transform addicted relationships into enlightened relationships?

• Pay attention to any signs of unhappiness in you, whatever the reason, for perhaps it is the awakening of suffering; 
• Be present, be aware and watch your inner space;
• Focus your attention on the feeling inside you;
• Stop judging yourself, then stop judging the other.

Part III – Acceptance and Surrender

There is a truth that cannot be denied: in life, there are cycles of success, such as when things happen and work out, and cycles of failure, when they don't go well and fall apart. You have to allow them to end, making room for new things to happen or change.

Tolle says that failure is always built into success, just as success is always covered by failure. Also, sooner or later, everyone “fails” and every achievement is actually a defeat.

Accepting the impermanence of things is an enlightened choice. And, consciously chosen enlightenment involves letting go of our attachments to the past and the future and making the now the focus of our lives.

Accepting means surrendering to the unpredictability of life and its misadventures. But don't blame life for treating you so badly, neither blame yourself for anything. This is all resistance.

Resisting is one of the most powerful spiritual practices, for when you deeply meditate on the mortality of physical forms, including yours, it’s called dying before you die.

So here are some tips for learning how to be free:

• Choose now;
• Don’t be a false god, that is, don't let the ego guide you;
• Transform suffering into peace;
• Don't blame yourself, resist;
• Die before death.

Books about motivation

Ken Robinson, in “Out of Our Minds” claims that Emotional Quotient / intelligence (EQ) is just as important as IQ. As thought and feeling controls are pillars of creativity, it is important to be emotionally calm.

The book “Essentialism”, by Greg McKeown, also addresses the idea that less is more and that few things are really essential in your life. Therefore, you should focus only on what is essential.

Finally, in the book “Geração de Valor”, author Flávio Augusto says that victorious thoughts are more likely to generate positive results, while trivial thoughts only generate trivial results.

How can I apply the ideas from Practicing the Power of Now”?

• Do not feed your ego or your fears, resist;
• Live in the Now, for tomorrow no longer exists and the future is just an illusion;
• Accept and surrender to enlightenment;
• Be kind to yourself and others, as no one is perfect.

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