The Power of Now

Lesson 1. Focus on the “now”.

Dwelling in the past and worrying about the future, are two primary reasons why we are unhappy. We are either regretting a past action, or worrying about what might happen in the future. However, we completely ignore the most important moment – the present. The reason why the present matters the most, is because everything happens in the present. Nothing ever occurs in the past or the future. 

If you think about it, time is a continuous flow of present moments. The past is nothing but a collection of moments which were once-present. The future on the other hand comprises present moments which are yet to occur. So, we should stop dwelling in any moment other than the present. 

There are many benefits to living in the present moment, or “the now” as Tolle calls it. Let’s say, you have a research paper to submit, and the deadline is fast approaching. You immediately begin to regret having procrastinated. Also, you get worried about how you’re going to complete the work in a time crunch. However, neither of these two responses will get your work done on time. 

Instead, focus on the present moment. Try to solve one problem at a time. Gather your information, do your research, then start writing. By committing yourself to one task at a time, you’ll be able to accomplish the job with ease.  

Lesson 2. Pain is self-created.

How do you deal with pain? Tolle argues that pain is nothing but your response to your inability to change things. Simply put, you experience pain when you are unable to change things despite being dissatisfied with them. This feeling of powerlessness manifests itself in the form of a negative emotion – pain. 

You constantly think about your past mistakes. They make you unhappy, yet you can do nothing to change them. This makes you develop an inner resistance to how things currently are. This is what you experience as pain.

According to Tolle, a part of ourselves needs pain to survive. This is the “pain-body”, which consists of our painful experiences. It grows and thrives the more we experience pain. This cycle will continue until pain becomes an integral part of your self. At that point, you’ll be unable to let go of it even if you want to. This is because you can’t reject it without risking your very identity. 

For instance, when you are angry, the anger clouds your rational faculty. You think less, which leads to more pain, thus worsening your situation. 

The noteworthy point Tolle makes