The Power of Now

A friend recommended Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment and I decided to give it a chance. The overall message is about being present and aware of the now--rather than looking behind at the past or forward to the future--a lesson we all need to be reminded of because of the positive impact doing so can have on our lives.

It's funny how your mood can affect your reading experience. Sometimes when I'd read this I'd be into it and feel like, 'yes, this makes perfect sense' and I liked the tone of it. Other times I'd roll my eyes and think how silly it sounded. Overall, I did like the book. It is similar to a book I read years ago called Awareness by Anthony de Mello. Awareness is more in your face and blunt though, perhaps so much that some might find it too abrasive. I think I may prefer that approach to Tolle's sometimes willowy style, but Awareness didn't have any kind of commercial success the way The Power of Now has. People (and Oprah) tend to like a gentler touch.