Lesson 1 from “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

Release yourself from the Past

If you missed my book review of “The Power of Now” you can find it here.

Is clinging to your past hurting your business? Without our past, we are nothing. 

When we speak about ‘releasing ourselves from the past’,  we may interpret this as having none of the experiences, knowledge, or skills which have helped us to progress. Releasing yourself from the past does not mean forgetting who you are and what foundations you’ve built up – it’s about freeing yourself from all the thoughts that trap you in your own history.

Tolle tells us that the past does not exist, rather, we have memories that we take with us when we are in the present. When we cling to things, we see faults and hold grudges. The past ruins our present, which in turn impacts on our future. When we live in the present, we adapt.

How to live in the present and flourish

What’s the lesson?

We only have a certain amount of energy and mind space. 

By clinging to the past, we relive emotions and are hard on ourselves for things we did or could have done better. Those are now memories, which gave us experiences from which we learn and grow. The present is where we live, and where there is no negativity, just this exact moment.

We are all able to be free, we just need to release the thoughts that we hold onto. 

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