A Useful Introduction to Meditative Thought
Reviewer Seth Anderson
February 17, 2006
I first listened to the Power Of Now shortly after it came out. I was in college at the time, and I was just about to crack due to the constant stress I placed on myself (actually, to be honest I did eventually crack, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been). In retrospect, the book came at a pivotal point in my life and it has genuinely helped me explore the basic, repetitive fears that underpin my anxiety.
If you want to know what this book is about in nutshell, it could be boiled down to this: The Present Moment is all you need to worry about in life. Living in the now is the lynchpin tenant for Tolle, and everything else he teaches finds its origins there. Like many modern spiritual guru's, Tolle's work often draws from eastern thought, but I've nevertheless found his ideas is to quite unique. As the book moves along, Tolle tries to calm the stress that stems from being overly concerned over past and future events. Grounding ourselves in what we are doing right here, and right now is the only way we can cope with whatever happened or whatever is coming. Tolle makes successful arguments for how much of human misery can be traced from this fundamental lack of mental patience (or "Stillness" as he might prefer it). For me, this book led to a larger examination of meditation and its subtle-yet-vital effects on overall health.
I credit Tolle for shedding light on a new way of interacting with the world. At a young age, I needed to have those seeds of wisdome planted and for that I'm entirely greatful.