Staying "In The Now": Books & teachings of Eckhart Tolle

Rosie appreciates Eckhart Tolle's wisdom. He says: Ask the animals and trees, "What time is it?" and they would say "Why, it's now! The time is now! What else is there?" As animals live completely in the present, attentively in the here and now, they would not even understand the question!

Eckhart Tolle realized the importance of staying conscious, alert, mindful COMPLETELY IN THE PRESENT MOMENT. BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE! The past and the future don't actually exist - only as "thought forms" in our minds. EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THE "NOW"! We can of course use "clock time" to administer what Eckhart calls our "life situations"- how we define ourselves and our presence in the world, what we do and how we navigate from day to day - but they don't define who we really are.

He is the writer and teacher that Rosie has most enjoyed following. His main, best known book is "The Power of Now", followed up by others including "A New Earth", and "Stillness Speaks". Rosie recommends listening to the audio versions of these, especially as a calming influence when you are trying to get to sleep, when you allow the worries of life to crowd your mind. UNNECESSARILY! As Eckhart says: ask yourself - what problem do you actually have NOW, this minute? There are not "problems", just "situations", which can be dealt with as and when required. As they arise. Which is always "in The Now"!

He has a very calming voice!

Rosie likes the audio recordings of talks, retreats and teaching sessions he has led, also available via Audible, Apple Books etc, which are less "formal" to listen to.

Here are some favourite Eckhart Tolle quotations that have stuck in Rosie's mind -

"Realise deeply, that the present moment is all you have".

"If your here and now makes you unhappy, you have three options: you can change the situation, or you can accept the situation, or you can leave the situation."

"There are two sources of unhappiness: one is not getting what you want. The other is getting what you want."

"If you don't see it, you are it"

"Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on"

"Death is the stripping away of all that is not you".

In Stillness Speaks, chapter 6, he writes:

How often each day, if you were to verbalise your inner reality at that moment, would you have to say, "I don't want to be where I am"?

What does it feel like when you don't want to be where you are? - The traffic jam, your place of work, the airport lounge, the people you are with? ...

It has been said: wherever you go, there you are. In other words: you are here. Always. Is it so hard to accept that?