The Power of Awakening summary

We’re often exhorted to “live in the now,” but there’s one group of people who are far more likely than any other to live out that advice: people who nearly had their “now” snatched away from them. 

That’s right, people who’ve had near-death experiences are far more likely to embrace the present moment. And it makes perfect sense – if you’ve come close to losing your life, then you stop taking the time you have left for granted.

When life feels hard, stressful, and confining, it’s natural to crave a feeling of freedom. But did you know that there are two kinds of freedom – and only one of them is worth pursuing? 

The first is what the author calls counterfeit freedom. This freedom is propped up by substances like alcohol, or emotions like approval. And as soon as these props are removed, the feeling of freedom goes along with them. The only way to maintain it? Chase down more of whatever gave you that feeling in the first place.

To achieve awakening and experience authentic freedom, you need to tune into the guidance of your higher self. The bad news? There’s a lot of noise from the outside world drowning that voice out. The good news? Once you find the right frequency, you’ll be able to hear it loud and clear.

To tap into your frequency, you just need to follow three simple steps.

Do you think of yourself as an individual – a discrete body whose form has a distinct boundary? If you answered yes, perhaps it's time to think again. 

To begin with, you’re not a separate entity. You’re a teeming and miraculous mass of life-forms. If you were to look at yourself under a microscope, you’d see that your body is alive with cells, bacteria, and microbes, all working in harmony.

Let’s say you want to improve your tennis serve. What do you do? You hit the court and practice serving. You hit hundreds, or even thousands, of serves. At the end, you might not be playing straight aces like Federer, but you will have built the skill and muscle memory to hit a solid serve. All that physical practice produces tangible results.

This principle can be applied mentally as well as physically, through visualization. Practice one thought as obsessively as a tennis pro practices his serve, and you’ll find that that thought will grow in power and intensity to create real results.

Which substance is more powerful, rock or water? We think of rock as strong and immovable, whereas water is fluid and unresisting. But when a rock is placed in the middle of a stream, over many years the flow of water will smooth its edges and wear it down. Just because water flows doesn’t mean it isn’t potent. In fact, flow is the key to power. 

It’s time to embrace your flow. Surrender to the universal forces around you, and you might be surprised to learn that in your surrender, you’ll find your own strength and energy.

Finally awakening to the world is a life-changing experience. You tune into your higher self in a way that allows you to perceive your life’s mission, opens your eyes to the abundance of opportunities around you, and leads you to authentic freedom.

But awakening isn’t just a one-off event. Whether you’re still working toward it or you’ve awakened already, living an awakened life requires daily practice.