getting a little help from Eckhart Tolle

#midlife blog crestingthehill.com.au

I'm a bit of a closet fan of Eckhart Tolle - he's a little bit too new-agey for my sensibilities at times, but he has a lot to say about "living in the now" that I appreciate and have been trying to apply to my life. This latest quote that I saw has helped me remember not to sit stagnating in the one place.

It's so easy to sit back and wait for something to happen - the sign from heaven, the message in a fortune cookie, the profound advice from a friend, or whatever it takes to help us move forward. But sometimes you don't need to have the future all sewn up and deep and meaningful. Sometimes you can just seize the moment and enjoy living an ordinary life.

I'm am certain that trudging through life is not the answer. There is a degree of doing what needs to be done, but as midlife settles into place, there is room to take a breath and find pleasure in what life has to offer now - rather than waiting for the big moment that is sure to come along soon. I've stuck to the straight and narrow for a long time, but I think 50 was the turning point for me where I stopped 'waiting to start living' and just got on with finding joy in where I am now. If something is stopping me from being content then I need to tackle it and deal with it - not soldier on indefinitely.

It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living

My plan is to be joyful, to be content, to have an attitude of gratitude and to not worry (too much) about what the future holds. I don't want to be missing out on the pleasure of having time to myself and some head-space because I am scared about what will happen a year or more down the track. So I'm letting Eckhart Tolle help remind me to live for now rather than waiting for some magic moment in the future.


This post was part of the #1word challenge - this week's word was "help"



20 comments

  1. We're living it either way and time flies so we might as well enjoy it before it's gone.

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    1. That's what I'm learning every day Rena - life is short!

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  2. Terrifying and yet motivating.
    <3

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    1. I think as I get older I'm realizing that there's no point waiting for life to begin - I'm already half way through and it's time to start enjoying the moment now Carla :)

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    1. Thanks Lisa - life is getting shorter by the moment!

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    1. Hi Donna - thanks for stopping by and yes I think good old Eckhart has some wisdom in there.

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  5. Good advice! Starting a blog was the biggest, least-planned things I may have ever done. Had I thought it out a little better, I probably could have avoided some headaches - - but then again, I may never have gotten started!

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    1. so true Susan - and isn't it one of the best decisions we ever made!

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  6. A really super post, Leanne. I'm very guilty of this, of thinking "Oh, as soon as my son is in nursery school I'll be able to do this, or as soon as we get back from our next trip, or after our houseguests leave I'll get started on this project..." I always have something to distract me from doing what I should be enjoying or focusing on right now. Now I'm going to re-read your post again! xx

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    1. What a lovely compliment - you always look like you have it all together (while looking gorgeous at the same time!) glad I inspired you a little :)

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  7. This sounds like a plan! Is 40 too early to start applying it? I have a couple months to prepare. ;-)

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    1. No Julie - I wish I'd started at 40, it would have meant 10 extra years of enjoying the moment!

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  8. I think the idea of gratitude really hit me. I think if I'm grateful for the day it will make the diference. Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Sandy - I'm finally starting to realize that gratitude is the key to a lot of things in life!

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  9. I definitely find that as I get older, I am learning to breathe more and relax. It can be a hard adjustment, at times, but well worth it. Have a great week!

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  10. Hi Stacey, I think we learn to relax a little more in midlife and that give ourselves that breathing space!

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  11. I could never be accused of sitting back and waiting for anything to happen but I found myself by my late 30s trying to do everything and realized I needed to let of my unrealistic ambition and expectations go. It was hard but it definitely left room to focus on what would really make me happy and not what someone else wanted to feel good. Thanks for sharing via Women of Midlife!

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    1. Thanks Beth - I agree that we have to get rid of our perfectionism and appreciate what we have to offer and stop trying to be all things to all people (it's definitely a woman thing!)

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