The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

This book was first introduced to me in 1999 by a very dear friend when I was living in Marin County, California, a hotbed of spirituality, higher consciousness and progressive thought. I didn't buy it at the time, literally and figuratively. In 2004, in the thick of a potentially painful breakup, I re-encountered The Power of Now. A brief mention of the book to a regular customer of mine, inspired them to purchase the book and gift it to me. I pursued this sychronicity and sought some emotional and spiritual refuge, during my time of separation. Through my read, I was reminded that any stress or drama I was experiencing from my circumstances was "mind-made." Much of the greater truths that I had subscribed to at that point in my life began to achieve a refreshing state of consilience. The insights that I gained from The Power of Now equipped me with a sense of awareness and mindfulness that illuminated a love-filled and abundant path out of that relationship. Simply put, I've never experienced a more evolved "breakup." In fact, I think "transcendence" is the more appropriate description. Doesn't that sound better? When someone asks what happened to you and your "ex," you simply reply, "we transcended." Since then, I keep The Power of Now nearby for those times when I seek to open it back up, read through my notes and marinate in its universal wisdom.
This book reflects the synthesis of two truths common to religion, spirituality and personal growth. 1. We become what we think about. 2. We control our thoughts (mind). If an individual can get their entire selves around those two concepts, then they can begin to surrender to the notion that we control our destiny, and on a much more real level, our current state of being. Tolle teaches us that a life of peace, health, abundance and love is immediately available to us the moment we free our minds from the confines of time and space and begin living in this very moment....right NOW. Why?
...because it is the only thing. It's all there is. The eternal present is the space within which your whole life unfolds, the one factor that remains constant. Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.
Like it or not, it's pretty dang true. Consider how much of our pain rests in our living in the past or projecting into the future. "Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry --- all forms of fear --- are caused by too much future, and not enough presence." The book offers a useful reminder for moments of stress provides you with three choices in how to deal with an uncomfortable situation. 1. Change the situation 2. Remove yourself from the situation 3. Accept the situation and drop the negativity. These sort of tools are like kryptonite for a drama queen.
Imagine how much more we might savor life if we lived it one moment at a time rather than one day at a time.
The Power of Now reminds us that "all you ever have to deal with, cope with, in real life -- as opposed to imaginary mind projections -- is this moment." I don't know about you but I rest easier knowing that "the only thing that is ulimately real about [my] journey is the step that [I am]taking at this moment." Sure does take some weight off.

Do you truly know what is positive and what is negative? Do you have the total picture? There have been many people for whom limitation, failure, loss, illness, or pain in whatever form turn out to be their greatest teacher. It taught them to let go of false self-images and superficial ego-dictated goals and desires. It gave them depth, humility and compassion. It made them more real.

Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart

Cradle to Cradle
by William McDonough & Michael Braungart

Cradle to Cradle is a book that will fascinate you even before you open it up. Written by William McDonough & Michael Braungart and published by Melcher Media in 2002 , this is no ordinary book. Cradle to Cradle is a demonstrable example of its core message, promoting a renaissance of design science that is changing the way we live toward the farther reaches of sustainability and living in kinship with nature. The authors and publisher want you to know that "this book is not a tree." Instead of using "wood pulp and cotton fiber," which taxes natural systems, the pages are "made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers." The result is a book that is waterproof, durable and "a prototype for the book as a technical nutrient, that is, a product that can be broken down and circulated infinitely in industrial cycles --made and remade as paper or other products." This design experiment with one of humankind's most treasured objects, is among many that McDonough and Braungart celebrate as harbingers of the "Next Industrial Revolution."
For McDonough, this revolution is guided by the question, "How can we humans, live in a way that protects all the children of all species for all time?" This uberaltruistic ideal is grounded by his work with corporate giants such as Nike, Herman Miller, Gap, Designtex and Ford Motor Company. His work with Braungart is grounded in the notion that "design is a signal of intention" and asks the question, "what is the very best that designers can intend?" McDonough and Braungart also coauthored the The Hannover Principles in 1991. These principles celebrate the concept of designing "products and systems that celebrate an abundance of human creativity, culture and productivity," and attempts to show how "nature doesn't have a design problem-people do. "
I believe this book to be an inspiring and refreshing answer to the dynamic tension that exists between proponents of commerce and the environment, conservatives and liberals, government and business among today's opponents of progress toward the idea of better living through recognition and alignment with nature's laws. It belongs in the library of any interdisciplinary thinker.

"Through historical sketches on the roots of the industrial revolution; commentary on science, nature and society; descriptions of key design principles; and compelling examples of innovative products and business strategies already reshaping the marketplace, McDonough and Braungart make the case that an industrial system that "takes, makes and wastes" can become a creator of goods and services that generate ecological, social and economic value."