A New Earth.......

I just finished reading a really good book: A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. This is definitely my kind of read. It's the mind-expansive, deep thinking kind of stuff that I so enjoy.

With each page, I had to stop, re-read the sentence and really think about what the author was trying to convey. The basic premise of the book is discovering the freedom and joy of life lived "in the now" - that is the "present moment." It may sound simple, but it is not. Try it. Give your full attention to this very moment - do not think about the future; do not think about the past - be in this very moment, fully.

I've been practicing this discipline or at least been aware of practicing this "way of being" for months, but I lose focus almost daily..... it is a very human thing to begin to think about other things and become "unconscious"......... but the beauty of it is when I notice that I have "lost my way" - in that moment, I am back to being in the now.

There is great power and strength in being in the present moment - a peace that is unexplainable.

In the book, the author talks about ego. According to him, we are a society so very attached to our egos that we don't know any other way of being. He says the ego is our identification to form - that is to the mind (thinking about the future/past) and being attached to things (materialism) -stuff that doesn't really matter in the bigger scheme of things.

He suggests that it is okay to have things, but we shouldn't get our sense of self (who you are) from those things, because they aren't "real". In the end, we all die and will leave behind all our "stuff"...... according to the author, the really consciousness comes from being in the "now"; being alive and present in each moment and letting go of the ego.

He suggests " if you are content with being nobody in particular, content to not standing out, you align yourself with the power of the universe". What looks like weakness to the ego is in fact the only true strength. This spiritual truth is diametrically opposed to the values of contemporary culture and the way it conditions people to behave.

He gives another example to watch out how our ego's gets in our way. The ego really is a very powerful thing but it keeps us separate from each other - keeps us "one-upping" each other, which never brings us peace of mind.

In the book he asks his readers to try this exercise:

Refrain from attempting to strengthen the self by showing off, wanting to stand out, being special, making an impression, or demanding attention. This may include occasionally refraining from expressing your opinion when everybody is expressing his or hers, and seeing what that feels like.........

In just being aware of how many times in a day we want to feel special, stand out or demand attention, is a awakening..........