#35: 10 Key Takeaways from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Posted on by Wes Wise.

In Episode 35, I’m sharing my 10 key takeaways from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, with a little help from my old Spaceballs friends. It’s a spiritual enlightenment edition of the Wise Eats Podcast!

For show notes, pictures, transcript, and more, go to Wise-Eats.com/Episode35

Episode Timestamps

  • Wise-Eats.com/Episode35 for the show notes, YouTube video, and more! (0:00)
  • Initial impressions of the book (0:45)
  • Takeaway #1: Live in the present moment (1:15)
  • Takeaway #2: Letting go of the past (1:50)
  • Takeaway #3: Control your feelings about any circumstance (2:40)
  • Takeaway #4: Time is an illusion (3:00)
  • Takeaway #5: Energy trapped in our body becomes negativity, so we must release it (3:30)
  • Takeaway #6: Find Inner Peace (4:15)
  • Takeaway #7: Consider meditation if you haven’t done so already (4:50)
  • Takeaway #8: Focus on gratitude and positivity (5:20)
  • Takeaway #9: Relieve stress through consciousness (5:50)
  • Takeaway #10: Fighting addiction (6:20)
  • Final thoughts (6:50)
  • Blooper Reel / Outtakes (7:30)

Articles/Brands/Products Mentioned in This Episode:

Movie Clips

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Episode 35: The Power of Now

What’s up wise guys and gals? Welcome to another special episode of the Wise Eats Podcast. I’m your host, former fat guy, certified fitness coach, and living in the now advocate Wes Wise, and today I want to quickly share with you my biggest takeaways from the book The Power of Now. This is a very popular read and a book I wish I had read much earlier in life because it could’ve saved me lots of headache. Just want to share some of my favorite quotes and lessons from the book and I hope you get something out of it, so let’s dive in. It’s time to Wise Up.

Different Than I Expected!

I’m not gonna lie. At first this book was a little too philosophical for me, but the more I read, the more I loved it. I originally thought The Power of Now was supposed to be some sort of meditation manual but that’s not what it is about. There aren’t many step-by-step mental exercises like I thought, more a set of philosophies and mind rules to follow. The book is organized as a series of Q&A’s about spiritual enlightenment.

Here are my key takeaways:

1. Live in the present moment

Most things we stress about are rooted in the past or future. Focus on the present only, because that’s what life is; just a series of present moments. We all have plenty of things from our past that we can dwell on and groan about, but doing that isn’t going to get us anywhere. The past is nothing more than all present moments that have gone by, and the future is just the collection of present moments waiting to arrive.

2. “When you surrender to what is and so become fully present, the past ceases to have any power.”

Like I said, I wish I would’ve read this book when I was a teenager. Someone I thought was my best friend betrayed me and that was a difficult period of my life because of my circle of friends. I wasted years of my life holding contempt for this person. Had I just forgiven them and moved on, I could have saved plenty of heartache.

Let go of the past and forgive, because if you don’t, you will never truly be able to live in the moment. “Don’t seek to understand the past, just be as present as you can. The past cannot survive in your presence. It can only survive in your absence” (Tolle, 2004, p. 76).

3. Control your feelings about any circumstance

The book teaches that no matter what is going on in your life, good or bad, living in the present moment gives you the power to choose how you feel about any circumstance. Any time you’re feeling negative, use it as a signal from your body to wake up, get out of your mind, and be present. Here’s a quote: “The past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation. Both are illusions” (Tolle, 2004).

4. Time is an illusion

Every single time I’m tempted to ask someone what time it is or look at my phone what time it is, I think of this book.

What time is it? It is now. The time is Now. Don’t live in the past or worry about the future. Live in the present moment, because that’s all there is. Be grateful for what you have in this very moment and enjoy it fully.

5. Energy trapped in our body becomes negativity, so we must release it.

There are several ways to accomplish this, but my favorite way to release negativity is obviously through exercise. Working out stimulates my creativity, relieves stress, and gives me incredible energy each day. It also frees me from additional conflict in my life by allowing me to control where I focus my energy. By strengthening my body, I gain more control over my mind. The book says that “when the mind is running your life, conflict, strife, and problems are inevitable” (Tolle, 2004, p. 106).

6. Find Inner Peace

The book teaches that all pain is a result of resistance to the things you cannot change, so accept the things you cannot change. That doesn’t mean you have to be content with situations you’re unhappy about, simply that you accept them for what they are so you can have peace and consciousness.  “When you live in complete acceptance of what is, that is the end of all drama in your life. Nobody can ever have an argument with you, no matter how hard he or she tries.

Regardless of the situation, I always try to remain calm and at peace, because freaking out and getting stressed isn’t going to help anything.

7. Consider meditation if you haven’t done so already

There are so many amazing benefits to meditation. Free yourself from pain by constantly observing your mind and not judging your thoughts

8. Focus on gratitude and positivity

Remember that your perception of the world is a reflection of your state of consciousness. Every moment, your consciousness creates the world that you inhabit. I start each day with gratitude and believe it helps me defeat any feelings of jealousy or greed. I’m always just thankful for everything I have in life, even the little things.

9. Relieve stress through consciousness

Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there,” or being in the present but wanting to be in the future. Refuse to build an identity around your past, because that’s where negativity comes from, and it will never allow you to truly own and appreciate the present moment. Many of the negative feelings we feel in life such as anxiety, stress, worry, guilt, sadness, bitterness, fear all come from too much focus on the past or future and not enough of the present moment.  

10. Fighting addiction.

I have certainly faced addiction in my life, both to drugs, alcohol, and food. The Power of Now says that “every addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through your own pain”. Addiction does not cause pain and unhappiness. Addiction brings out the pain and unhappiness that are already within you” (Tolle, 2004, p. 127).

Final Thoughts

So, those are my lessons and key takeaways from the Power of Now. It’s a great book, so I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t done so already. You can see the full transcript, YouTube video, and show notes for this episode over at Wise-Eats.com/Episode35. The last quote I’ll share from the book is this: “The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment” (Tolle, 2004, p. 73). With that said, thanks for listening and watching, have a great day, and make wise choices.

References

Tolle, E. (2004). The power of NOW: A guide to spiritual enlightenment. Vancouver, B.C.: Novato, CA: Namaste Pub.

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