The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle (2004)

The Power of Now:
A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle (2004)

I read this at the end of December 2012, after being with an ex-girlfriend, and finished it in Hawaii. For the first time, after meditating consistently, I could look my parents in the eyes, and felt like more of a man. Let people say what they will about self-help books; if a person does a lot of growing as a result of reading a handful of $10 books, I welcome it.

His message is the same philosophers and those with a healthy dose of mindfulness have been telling us for millennia – probably a lesson our ancestors knew instinctively, before the advent of agriculture. But Tolle says it again, and if it helps just a few more people find happiness within themselves, great!

This quote sends shivers through my body:

“The moment you start to argue, you have identified with a mental position and are now defending not only that position but also your sense of self.”

I must review this again and again. In this sentence is both Sam Harris’ argument against the sense of self, and every bit of wisdom in Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. I need to review this again and again.

Look through all the major highlights.