The Power of Now Book Summary - The Power of Now Book explained in key points

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The Power of Now summary

Name: The Power of Now
Rating: 4.4 (1648 reviews)
Author: Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle

A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment

4.4 (1648 ratings)

19 mins

Brief summary

The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a transformative guide to living fully in the present moment, transcending the ego, and finding inner peace.

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Happy Spirituality

Table of Contents

The Power of Now
Summary of 9 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 9

What’s in it for me?

Many of us spend our time either trapped in the regret-filled past or anxious about a future we cannot hope to control. Yet at the same time we also cling to the hope that we can somehow improve our lives, become happier and find enlightenment, even though we have no clear idea of how to do so.

Enter The Power of Now, in which bestselling author and renowned spiritual guide Eckhart Tolle provides readers with several methods for navigating the complex terrain of their inner lives and their relationships to the past, present and future.

At the heart of Tolle’s (very practical) philosophy is an emphasis on living in the present moment as a way to avoid most of the pain that we usually experience. To this end, the book focuses on the connection between the mind and suffering, offering a variety of perspectives on the numerous self-destructive ways that we use our minds – for example, to trap ourselves in cycles of suffering and stop ourselves from being happy.

The Power of Now has helped millions of people to improve their lives, including their relationships with others, and, crucially, to increase their sense of self-esteem and fully engage with their lives.

By focusing only on the present – and ignoring the past or future – you can greatly improve your life.

Many of us want to find inner peace and improve our lives. We’re seeking – in a word – enlightenment, yet we don’t know which steps to take to find it.

Well, the first step may be easier than you imagine.

We tend to live in the past and in the future. One moment we’re reminiscing or regretting, the next we’re planning or worrying. Meanwhile, we neglect the one moment that is fully available to us: the present.

Now.

Only the present is important because nothing ever occurs in the past or future; things happen only in a continuous stream of present moments.

Whenever you feel something, that feeling is experienced in the present, because your senses can only give you information about this specific moment. So when we say that something happened in the past, that’s not quite true: it actually happened in a single, present moment.

Indeed, what we call “the past” is really a collection of once-present moments that have passed. Likewise, “the future” is made up of present moments that have yet to arrive.

As this suggests, there are no advantages to worrying about the future or dwelling in the past, but there are many to living “in the now.” If you manage to achieve that, you’ll experience no major problems, just small ones that can be dealt with as they arise.

For example, a challenging task, like writing a scientific paper, often seems too large and complicated to be achievable. If you’re anxious about the work that’s remaining, or regret missed opportunities to work on it in the past, you’ll get nowhere. But if you just solve one little problem after another – gathering the data, developing a structure, writing the first chapter – you’ll accomplish it more easily.

So try to live in the present! Stop clinging to the past and stop fearing the future, and you’ll see how dramatically your life will improve.

A part of you needs pain to survive, and it creates most of the pain you experience.

Let’s say you manage to live in the present and to not worry about the past or future. What happens when you then experience pain? If pain is felt in the present moment, how can you deal with both physical and emotional suffering?

Pain is nothing more than a self-created inner resistance to external things that you cannot change. You experience pain when you are unsatisfied with how things are, yet don’t feel powerful enough to change them. This manifests itself, on an emotional level, as a negative feeling.

The “ego” is a part of your mind that stops you from being happy.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to sabotage themselves? Why, though nobody wants to be miserable, so many people are unhappy?

The culprit is the ego – a part of your mind that controls your thoughts and behavior without you noticing.

If you want a richer and almost painless life, separate yourself from your mind and focus on your body.

The ego’s power is just one of many reasons that it’s important to separate yourself from your mind and pay closer attention to your body. Indeed, many great teachers have spoken about the importance of focusing on the body rather than the mind.

Why?

Observing the mind without judgment is the best way to separate from it, and thus free yourself from pain.

After you realize that your mind is causing you pain, preventing you from truly living in the present, you need to detach yourself from it.

How?

Try to exist in a state of permanent alertness.

While you get better at separating yourself from your mind, you can try adopting another technique: active waiting.

This is a special kind of waiting state, like when you’re aware that something important or serious could happen at any moment. In such a state, all of your attention is focused on the now.

Living in the present can be hard for your partner, but it can also improve your relationship.

After following the previous steps, you’re now able to live in the present, and are no longer completely dependent on your mind.

But how will that change your daily routines? For example, your relationships?

Not all pain is avoidable: surrendering to the present does not mean ignoring sad or hurtful feelings.

Even if you live fully in the present, some feelings of sadness and pain are unavoidable.

But what should you do with them? Just suppress them and pretend that everything is ok? That doesn’t sound like a very good idea.

Surrendering to the present does not mean living a passive life.

Inner peace is a nice thing to have, but when your outer life situation is bad, inner peace is not worth very much.

Does accepting the present automatically lead to a passive way of living in which you are not mindful of or willing to change anything that troubles you?

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What is The Power of Now about?

The Power of Now (1997) offers a specific method for putting an end to suffering and achieving inner peace, living fully in the present and separating yourself from your mind. The book also teaches you to detach yourself from your “ego” – a part of the mind that seeks control over your thinking and behavior. It argues that by doing so you can learn to accept the present, reduce the amount of pain you experience, improve your relationships and enjoy a better life in general.

The Power of Now Review

The Power Of Now (1997) offers profound insights into spiritual growth and personal transformation. Here's why you should read this book:

It teaches the importance of living in the present moment to achieve a more fulfilling life.
The book provides practical techniques for transcending the ego and finding inner peace.
Its thought-provoking ideas resonate with readers across different spiritual backgrounds.

Experience the life-changing wisdom of The Power Of Now and embark on a journey towards inner peace.

Best quote from The Power of Now

The moment you realize you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it.

—Eckhart Tolle

Who should read The Power of Now?

Anyone seeking inner peace and enlightenment
Anyone who is experiencing pain and is unsatisfied with their own existence
Anyone who has the feeling that they are standing in their own way

About the Author

Eckhart Tolle is a German-born resident of Canada who was depressed for most of his life until he had what he called an “inner transformation.” In the wake of this, he became a spiritual guide and wrote the bestselling self-help bible, The Power of Now.

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Personal Development Mindfulness & Happiness Religion & Spirituality

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