"Rebirth"by Duy Hunyh
Eckart Tolle wrote a booked called The Power of Now. I have not read it, so this is not a commentary on his book. But I have had my own revelations recently about the power of now. In each moment, we have the power to create our reality by the choices we make.
Yesterday was one of those days for me--one of those days that could easily have become a really crappy day. I even thought of a great blog title for it, "Oh Crappy Day." And when I googled "Oh Crappy Day", I found lots of people have blogged under that topic. There are songs and videos with that title. I checked out a couple of the blogs that popped up in my search, and not surprisingly, I found a litany of bad news and complaining. I found case studies in how to squander the power of now. I found a lot of victims.
Looking back on my day, I see the tremendous power in each moment and in each choice that I made. And for the most part, I chose well. I tried to remain positive. I was aware of my choice to be optimistic or to cultivate a negative situation and make it even worse. I did my best to lean in a positive direction, to reach for something better instead of something worse. I did my best not to take on the role of the victim--the one with no control--the one with no power.
Towards the end of my day, as I settled into my truck for a two-hour return drive home, I found myself pulling into one of those Travel-America places. I didn't need gasoline. I needed sugar. I needed to numb my feelings. I bought a Haagen Daz ice cream bar and a Pay Day candy bar. Before I got back on the expressway, before I even unwrapped the ice cream bar, my cell phone rang. It was Kath calling just to check in. Too strange! How did she know to call me at this exact moment? Her call interrupted me long enough to snap me back into reality...to remind me of the power of now...my power to choose. I never told Kath about the pit stop I had just made or the ice cream bar melting in my lap. I was dishonest in withholding this information. I still ate the ice cream when we hung up. And later, I ate the candy bar. I'm not proud of these two choices. But I am proud of many of the other choices I made throughout the day. And I'm proud now of my decision to own up to my short-comings and be honest about my frailty and show you more of who I am.
I am proud of this now, this moment, this choice.
17 comments:
Okay since we are owning up, I will to, I made cookies and I ate cookies( they did not turn out pretty but they tasted so good, so I feel like I need to eat them instead of throwing them away, a problem I seem to have every year!)! But when I grabbed one this morning I actually put it back and said, "I don't need to have another day like yesterday!" So NOW I have decided to start fresh, go tackle the filthy fifty, and enjoy Eric's graduation at 1 today! It is amazing what we can do when we live in the now!
This is the next book on my list!!! I am currently readin Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" and it is awesome!! I have found SO MANY profound quotes already and I'm only on the second chapter. IT is a very easy read. For the most part, I usually sit and read before I go to sleep at night. It is almost calming in a way. I really am trying to live in the now and have an "It is what it is" mentality about life. I am also trying to live more of "The Secret" as well. For this I have created a board with pictures of things that I will accomplish. It sits on my ceiling above my bed, so I see it and read it, before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the mornings.
I can't wait to get the book "The Power of Now"!! I'm excited just talking about it.
You can look up quotes from Eckhart Tolle and you will find many useful ones. My quotes on my MySpace and Facebook are all by him. Yay!!
Here is a great quote:
"Focus attention on the feeling inside you.
Know that it is the pain-body.
Accept that it is there.
Don't think about it - don't let the feeling turn into thinking.
Don't judge or analyze.
Don't make an identity for yourself out of it.
Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you.
Become aware not only of the emotional pain but also of "the one who observes," the silent watcher.
This is the power of the Now, the power of your own conscious presence.
Then see what happens."
-Eckhart Tolle
Source: The Power Of Now
I don't know that I agree with the statement, "it is what it is". I know where you are coming from (accept yourself and go with the flow) but "it is what you make it" more accurately reflects my belief. Strking the balance between these two is the key...realizing you can create your own life and at the same time being cool with where you are in the moment.
Sorry you had a not so great day yesterday PatC. Hope today is much better. I'm sure you will MAKE it better.
My only confession for today is that "I am not perfect", especially with food choices. I eat well 85% of the time. I think that's pretty good.
I am not perfect and I think that is just GREAT! :o)
The "It is what it is part" is more accepting the things I cannot change instead letting myself get upset by them. Little things such as people cutting me off while driving...instead getting angry and honking...like I normally do, I am trying to just let it go.
Other things such as worrying about everything and everybody. I just need to let it go.
Not in the sense that I can't "Create my own stars" or change my life or accomplish things I want to accomplish. That takes energy and drive and planning and visualization.
Perfect is boring.
Yep, I think perfect would be like living in a small box your whole life.
For me, "it is what it is" -- is a brutal acknowledgement of the reality of now. Sometimes I have a tendency to skip over that by getting revved up in what I'm GOING to do. I've found I make changes that stick a little better when I've gone through the stage of contrition... then I can truly forgive myself. Does that make sense? (This is going to sound like a dumb premise but) have you ever had a fight with someone and they just wanted to MOVE ON from the fight without really saying sorry, or I screwed up? They say "okay okay, I did it, let's let bygones..." And I feel like HEY! You're not even really sorry and we get to just MOVE ON?! (lol)
The times I have felt POIGNANTLY sad that I keep myself on a food rollercoaster, is when I envisioned my "little girl inside" and saw she was in JAIL. I cried and felt so sorry I was doing that to her... and then I saw she is me and I had to cry for myself. That was a "it is what it is" moment for me.
Also, whether I am in shape or not, my body fat % is very high -- that is what it IZ. I've been stuck in some faulty thinking with fitting my sizeX jeans. (since there is such a thing as fat-skinny) I am going to shift my focus on how CHEMICALLY my food affects my body-fat%... not focus on how fat I feel.
Pat -- I am so proud of you for owning up. THAT is the epitomy of 'it is what it is' babyyyy.
And we're either doing something about it or not -- but I want to have some joy in my choice... even if it IS to eat cookies. I'm tired of beating myself up. Afterall, I know kung-fu. I'm pretty proficient HAHA.
The Power of Now is similar to my concept of living life "on purpose." This is simplified but: I went to undergrad in Mpls because I got a scholarship to go there. Majored in journalism becuase that's what the scholarship was for. Same with Emory law. Friends chose me; I never chose them. I couldn't understand why my classmates were so proud of their law degree and it was a "so what?" to me. It's because it happened TO me. I didn't set a goal, go after it and achieve it. (Of course, in actuality I did, but not with purpose) That's a powerless way to be. Finally, some years ago I decided to make conscious choices and own them -- the power of now -even the bad choices. For example, I hate to lie. But now, when I do, I take a moment to recognize that in this moment that's what I chose to do. Same with shoving another chocolate chip cookie into my mouth about an hour ago.
My daughter's name "Naiya" is a variation of "Nia." Swahili for purpose. I want her to happen to life, not life to happen to her.
Pat, I'm glad you chose to take the power and I'm glad you chose optimism.
Kath~ I LOVE reading your posts. They are entertaining and completely honest. Your last paragraph is PERFECT!!
I don't want to and refuse to beat myself up any longer. I ate 2 small brownies yesterday and drank red wine...and I didn't go to the gym. It's not the end of the world. I din't go crazy for the whole day. I made a decision to eat/drink that stuff, and I enjoyed it.
Pat~Thank you for putting that out there. It is hard when the foods we eat are tied to the emotions we have. It is great that that phone call helped you recognize it at that moment.
I know for me, the thought process associated with me eating the so-called "Bad-foods" is, "Well I worked out hard today or am going to work out tonight, it won't kill me to have an extra brownie."
That is the thinking I need to work on. No, I am right...it won't kill me, but I don't want to use an excuse to eat something. If I want to eat it or drink it, than I want to go in with the mind set of I am going to eat it, enjoy it, and then move on. Not give another thought or feel bad about doing it. That is a hard point to get to, but I am working on it.
Great post Sheryl!
I had a meeting with a cookie this morning. Someone offered me one and I blurted out, "Sure, my diet is shot to hell anyways!!"
I realized shortly after taking it, that that was not a good way to look at it. I still haven't eaten the cookie. It is sitting on my desk wrapped up in a napkin.
The Power of Now is one of my favorite books. It has that perception-altering quality about it that makes you look at things differently enough that you feel like you're walking around in life with a little secret that no one else knows. The secret is that everything is perfect as it is and our perception of things is what has to change to make life make sense sometimes. But when you read the Power of Now, you don't just know it you feel it.
Shana~~ That's the same thing I am getting from "A New Earth"!! I can't wait to get "The Power of NOw" too!
What's funny about Eckert Tolle -- is someone gave me the Earth series CDs a million years ago, and I just couldn't seem to find 2 seconds to listen to them. Same with the Secret. (I've since done so) But I've also purchased both of the ET books. I gave one as a gift, and kept one (the one that as I opened it, I resisted the sentences... I knew that was the one for ME lol)
The strange thing is, that book has been crossing my mind SO much lately and I keep wondering WHERE it is! I think it is time to find it... so it can help me find me haha!
I am playing catch-up on the blog today after spending the day traveling. I loved reading everyone's posts. What a terrific and powerful group of people here!
Fortunately, the flight to Ft. Lauderdale today was timely and uneventful. I think that is the best we can hope for when flying today. I realized sometime back that when entering the airport, I had to give up all thoughts that I had any control of my destiny. For those of you who know me, you understand the struggle I had with this process. Once I accepted this was my lot in life, traveling has become so much easier. We set sail tomorrow on the Carnival Freedom. Our first stop will be Cozumel on Monday.
Today, my e-mail quote of the day tied in nicely with today's post:
The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.
-- Carlos Castaneda
When traveling today, I need to remind myself of the Power of Now and know that I have the power to make myself strong. Next post shall be from somewhere in the Caribbean Sea bound for Mexico. Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!
Byron, glad to hear from you. Be safe. Enjoy your Christmas cruise. Tell your "mama and 'em" I said "hey y'all". (Bryon and I go waaaay back...we're from the same small town, Butler. A common gretting is "how's your mama and 'em?" Transaltion: "how is your mother and the rest of your family?"
Kath, thanks for your heart-felt, honest post today. I'm proud of you too...and really appreciated the call yesterday. You helped me a lot...even though I LIED to you!
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