Become less, so you can be more – Eckhart Tolle
I am currently reading the book A New Earth By Eckhart Tolle (yes I am a bit late on the wagon), however even though the book has kept appearing and coming into my life over the last 18 months or so – I have ignored it. Then over Christmas I was talking to my mum, and she recommend that I read the book. I figured – ok the universe is gently suggesting that I need to read that book – I got the hint (finally).
So off I went to the book store to buy the book, it wasn’t on the shelf – well to me that was a sign I didn’t need the book. However, something inside me was being persistent, urging me to ask if they by chance had a copy of the book. The lady behind the counter; without even looking it up on her computer went and found the last copy of the book they had (somebody had put it in the wrong section). So there it was, I had the last copy in store of A New Earth, a book that the universe seemed so persistent on me reading.
So, what are my thoughts so far? I love it – it is very enlightening and not full of fluff. I find it hard to discover a self-help book these days that is actually truly worth reading – a book that cuts through all the fluff and gloss of positivity (that so many self-help books ramble on with). I wanted something that was different, thought provoking yet actually practical.
So, the other night I was in bed reading and I came across the section ‘lose yourself to find yourself’ – wow this really spoke to me, the words cut right through me. This is what inspired me to write today's post about learning to just be in the moment of “being”. I also think it has a big place in living a life of simplicity – something I am always striving towards.
The State of Being is not a state of ‘having been’ or ‘will become.’
Finding Your Purpose In Life
Those words from Eckhart Tolle “Become less, so you can be more” are some of the most powerful words in the entire book. Think about this for a moment - can you relate to a few of these scenarios:
- Many of us want to be someone, achieve something, change the world or be important in somebody else’s life.
- We want to feel valued and appreciated for our work and services, and when other people don't thank us or recognise us like we think they should, we often feel upset or angry.
- Some of us need attention by talking about our problems, illnesses, forcefully giving our opinion when it wasn’t asked for (and would make no difference to the situation), causing a scene, being the one that everyone needs (the caregiver) or being the person that everyone likes.
- Then there are those of us who are too concerned about what the other person thinks of us, and as a result, we are actually so self-absorbed that we are not truly concerned for the other person.
- Then what about the ego's need to be seen, noticed and mattered by making an impression on others – this can be done in endless ways. Through the way we look, what we achieve, what we have, what we are wearing, how enlightened we are, how fit and healthy we are, how kind we are and so on.
- Then there are the times that we want to feel empowered, our ego gets inflated -this is when we get angry at something or someone, take things personally or feel offended – often making ourselves right and others wrong.
All this stuff is excess baggage (it is our ego's needs and wants), it is not who we are authentically, and it gets in the way of us living our purpose which is solely to "just be”. It stops us from living a life of peace, stillness and contentment. All these needs of the ego fill up space and they are just a pattern our ego has created to form our identity and worth.
When we can release these patterns, we create space so that we can just “breathe and be”, living in a state of total consciousness, free from the ego and any outside influences. This is when we become the most pure and authentic version of ourselves.
When we first try releasing the pattern of ‘needs and wants’ it can be hard, as we feel like we have no purpose – for we are no longer fighting and striving for things – instead we are just “being and accepting”. Letting go of all the clutter is the only way to create the space we need to become our true purpose – it truly is a case of become less, so that you can be more.
When we live in a space of “just being” stillness fills us, and everything becomes more vibrant. We can hear the sounds of nature more clearly, we can actually feel the energy of life buzzing through our body, we start to honestly hear and listen to other people, colours become more vibrant and everything seems more alive and beautiful.
Eckhart Tolle writes in his book “it has been said that stillness is the language God speaks, and everything else is a bad translation”. We have gone from living to existing, most of us are seeking something more, desperate to find our purpose, truth and meaning – when all we are here to do is “just be in the present moment”. It is not about what we do – but about what we are.
Living in a state of being doesn’t mean that we must give up on all our dreams and ambitions, by all means we can still strive to achieve great things in the outer world, however this needs to be done whilst being fully aware of our inner purpose or “being”.
We must learn to do things without expectation, loosen our grip to the “need or want” and just allow life to happen – dance with it, be with it and be at peace with whatever happens.
Whether you are making a cup of tea, working on your computer, driving to work, cooking dinner or taking a shower – let your mind only be in that moment – nowhere else.
A little tip: Most of us are dreamers, so set aside conscious time to sit and dream – once again be conscious of the fact that you are consciously dreaming. When dreaming, it is important to not loose awareness and get swept away with wishes that you were somewhere else or had done more with your life. So please allow yourself to get lost in dreams and fantasies, but always do it consciously.
Tips On How To Achieve "A State Of Being"
- Close your eyes, take a deep breath and feel the life-force, chi or energy running through your body – acknowledge that you are life.
- Clear any thoughts in that busy chattering monkey mind of yours, just feel the life run through your body with every breath you take.
- Now turn your attention to what is happening around you, ensuring that you stay in the moment of “being”. Don’t drift off into unconsciousness, for this is when you start to over think, over analyse and make judgements.
- Listen to the sound of your breathe, feel the rise and fall of your belly and notice how you can feel the beat of your heart.
- Now listen to what you can hear outside of yourself – maybe birds, cars, jackhammers, wind, rain or the radio. Notice how it sounds louder, clearer and there is something beautiful about that (you somehow have fallen into rhythm and harmony with the constant noise of car horns that in the past would have annoyed you).
- For a moment open your eyes and look around you, what do you see? Everything seems more vibrant, alive, purposeful and beautiful.
- Now close your eyes and feel the energy that surrounds you, feel at peace and one with everything. You are now connected to “your being” or the present moment.
When Doubt And Fear Crowds Your Headspace
If you ever get overwhelmed within a ‘cloud of unknowing’, it is important to consciously acknowledge that you feel uncertain or scared, but do not let your mind be filled with the negative chatter. Simply just acknowledge the uncertainty, breathe and do your best to release and move on (This is the purified mind.) Yes, easier said than done right! Just try and carry on your day to day activities in a meditative state of consciousness, yes that busy monkey mind will get in the way – however with time you will learn to control your mind. Eventually you will purify the mind to the point that the mind (ego) seems to disappear and all that remains is the State of Being.
Everyone has the same purpose in life and that is to simply” just be”, this is your raw and authentic soul, it is so simple yet so complex for many of us to practice. Your “being” is the only thing that cannot be taken away from you, and it is the one thing you came into this world with and it will be the one thing you depart this world with. So please “just be”.