How I Stay Sane, Part I - The Power of Now

A few years ago, when the tensions of both family and work seemed to be at a peak, I discovered a book by Ekhart Tolle called "The Power of Now." It has helped me many times since then. The key lesson of this book is to focus on the “Now,” – that is, the present. The idea is that a huge amount of energy is wasted in obsessing on the past or the future. Sometimes there are regrets for things left unsaid or undone in the past, or mistakes made. Other times there is either a longing for a future goal, or fear about what the future might hold. The point is there is nothing a person can do about either the past or the future. The only time is Now. An amazing grace of calm and serenity can be found when you take a big breath and focus on now, and only on what can be done right now. Of course, there are constructive thoughts to be had about both the past (learning from both failures and successes) as well as the future (planning and setting positive goals). But when I am unhappy or anxious, I try to take a deep breath and remember to ask myself: “Are you in the Now? Can anything be done about this right Now?”