Eckhart Tolle is one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend his book “The Power
of Now, “ because it teaches the reader how to be completely present and in the
moment.
Yesterday, I was visiting friends and enjoying the company of
a four-year old boy. The boy and I
were sharing scary stories about monsters and superheroes. One of my friends commented on how
completely attuned I was with the child and his stories. I wondered, how could I not be? I was enthralled by my young storyteller
and very much interested on how his mind created a beginning, middle and
end.
Lately, I’ve been in the habit of silencing my cell
phone. It is quite annoying for
many whom are trying to contact me.
However, I have found that I enjoy giving 100% attention to certain
people or tasks at hand. I’ve lost
the need to constantly be available to everyone. It is retro I guess and reflective of the era of my life
without cell phones before 1995.
Wouldn’t it be grand if people really started to listen and
pay attention to each other? Cell
phones, televisions, computers and newspapers can be weapons of mass
distraction. We often hide behind
them and ignore what is in front of us.
I feel the best way to enjoy today is to banish these
distractions for a while and just listen; even if there is nothing in
particular to listen to. Remember
the old signs in libraries that said, “silence is golden?” I think it might be used in movie
theaters now. Well, sometimes the
sound of your own breathing can be a miraculous sound to hear. Try spending 10 minutes in silence and
just hear the ambient noise or your own heart beating. You will feel your own presence and
life force. You will appreciate a
moment within yourself and in your own company. Perhaps you will learn the power of living in the now. And then, you might just figure out
what you want to do next.
