“Ask yourself: Is there joy, ease and lightness in what I am doing? If there isn’t, then time is covering up the present moment, and life is perceived as a burden.” Practicing the Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
I had to really think about this. Time covering up the present moment, is about the mind thinking that something needs to be done, or not done, and the connection is lost with the present moment. As soon as I say “I have to do this or that,” or “I should/shouldn’t be doing something, I know I am in the future or the past. I am doing something as a means to an end and not as an end in itself.
Eckhart Tolle also says something along the lines of “Look to the task itself and do not be concerned about the fruits of the task.” This is a real challenge for the mind and for a society which is outcome oriented. But every time we look to an outcome, we are in the future. It is one thing to plan for the future – from the present moment – and another thing to live in the future.
Sometimes my mind rebels against that which I have intended to do and wants to just goof off. This is also a time issue because goofing off throws other things out of wack and I end up feeling guilty or worried about what wasn’t accomplished. Yet another way for the mind to beat itself up.
To truly live in the present moment I have to be willing to make time in my day for connecting with Presence, whether it be a simple breathing routine, taking a 5 minute walk or whatever else works. But if I push on through these moments and try to run my day from my mind alone – I lose the joy and ease and lightness in what I am doing – no doubt about it.