A Different Perspective
We all have issues to deal with, so we must realize how powerful our thoughts are, and how dramatically they effect how we feel, how much we suffer, and the subsequent choices we make. You may think that you cannot control your thoughts - but that is not necessarily the case.
Ten years ago, when I came across the great author and teacher, Eckhardt Tolle, I was fascinated with his work. I read several of his books, pondered his words and I started to practice his exercises to see if I could get out of my pain and experience peace. The first book I read was "The Power of Now" which teaches now absurd it is that we continue to suffer by focusing on the past, or worrying about the future, when what we truly have is the wonder and beauty of NOW.
Next I read " A New Earth" and Tolle made me realize that I am not my thoughts; he teaches that thinking and consciousness are not synonymous. "Thinking is only a small aspect of consciousness. Thought cannot exist without consciousness, but consciousness does not need thought."
To get a deeper understanding of his work, I highly recommend that you get your hands on some of Eckhart Tolle‘s writings. They're definately a joy to read, and can really make a difference in your life.
Eckhart Tolle was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of twenty-nine he was depressed and almost suicidal but a profound inner transformation radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating, and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey. Later, he began to work in London with individuals and small groups as a counselor and spiritual teacher. Since 1995 he has lived in Vancouver, Canada.
Check out some great quotes below:
"The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive. To put it more accurately, it is not so much that you use your mind wrongly — you usually don’t use it at all. It uses you. This is the disease. You believe that you are your mind. This is the delusion. The instrument has taken you over." - Tolle
"Forget about your life situation and pay attention to your life. Your life situation exists in time. Your life is now. Your life situation is mind-stuff. Your life is real." - Tolle.
"Whenever an answer, a solution, or a creative idea is needed, stop thinking for a moment by focusing attention on your inner energy field. … When you resume thinking, it will be fresh and creative." Eckhardt Tolle
I hope you enjoy Eckhard Tolle as much as I do.
A huge thanks to all of my teachers!
