I recently had the most powerful drive of my life! As my colleague and I drove to a work event, passing the time with talk of relationships and our effort to be better people, he introduced me to Eckhart Tolle and the Power of Now.
Eckhart and his philosophy are certainly not breaking news but it totally broke my way of thinking. Perhaps I was simply finally ready to receive it as I remember listening to him on Oprah, and even bought his book for a struggling friend, but nothing obviously sunk in! I continued to waste decades seeking control and perfection, in others and from myself, as well as my specialty--reliving and analyzing the past. When I finally accepted the truth that the only control we have is now, today, this moment, and we never control anyone but oneself, I felt lighter and instantly happier than I had been in months--maybe years. Reliving the past is wasted time as it's unchangeable, and the future is simply unknown thus uncontrollable...so what are we left with? Now.
So now, today, this moment I choose to focus on the positive and choose to be happy because the alternative is simply unproductive--focusing on the negative of being alone and lonely, my weight, the current unbearable heatwave, etc. When I start to get down or find myself wanting someone to do or act a certain way, I remind myself of free will and how MY reaction is the only variable within my control. Thus, I am finding it easier to turn my frown upside down and focus on the magic of NOW....in 5 minutes it'll be a new NOW and only then can I be and do better. Mess up at 1PM, no worries! Learn, make a new positive choice at 1:30PM and keep on truckin! For instance, if I drop hints to a friend I'm feeling lonely and a dinner invitation never arrives, I have no right to be upset when it was in MY control to send an invitation as well. Or if a guy I'm dating goes out to a bar with his single friends, I have no right be to upset as I cannot control his future behavior or choices. What I can control is how I respond to the details of the evening and what bad behavior, if any, I am willing to accept.
Time wasted are moments not captured, and living in any alternative but NOW is wasted time. I encourage you to learn more about Eckhart Tolle and the Power of NOW...it may simply be life changing.
