Uplifted Living
Uplifted Living is a show about self-discovery and well-being where you learn insights and strategies for personal growth through the lens of literature. In today's world, it can seem like we are becoming distant from literary works and less connected with ourselves, all while misunderstanding the world around us. This show creates a space for people to connect with the truths about who we are as humans, as it uses literature and thematic elements to bring light to self-discovery.
Uplifted Living
Here, Now: Mindfulness and The Power of Now
In this episode of 'Uplifted Living,' host Nick Gilbert delves into the concept of mindfulness inspired by Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now.' Gilbert discusses the pivotal realization that one is not their thoughts, but the awareness beneath them. He explores how mindfulness isn't merely a trend or productivity tool but an experience of being fully present. Three practices from Tolle's teachings are shared: naming what is real, becoming the observer of thoughts, and using breath as an anchor. A journal prompt and affirmation are provided to help integrate these concepts. Gilbert encourages listeners to embrace the 'Ten Second Now Scan' to cultivate presence, emphasizing that peace lives in the present. The episode concludes with a call to strive for personal growth and uplift others.
Hello and welcome to Uplifted Living, the podcast for living uplifted. I'm Nick Gilbert and I want to thank you for tuning in today. As a lifelong learner in the field of education, I aspire to acquire and share knowledge that inspires, so I hope you're ready for today's episode. There's a moment in the power of now when Eckert Tolle describes a simple realization, you are not your thoughts. Just let that settle for a second. You are not your rumination . You are not your future fears, and you are not your past regrets. You are the awareness beneath all of it, and suddenly there's a tiny pocket of space inside you. A quiet you didn't realize was possible today. We're exploring mindfulness not as a trend, a productivity tool or a meditation technique, but as an experience of being fully and profoundly present in your own life.
Welcome to the episode:here, now. When Tolle wrote The Power of Now, it wasn't a philosophical argument. It was born out of a personal awakening. He had spent years trapped in anxiety and fear, thoughts raced through his mind, predicting disaster, inventing worry, building stories that exhausted him till one night he heard himself think,"I can't live with myself anymore." And then a realization if there's an I who can't live with myself, Who is the "I" and who is the "myself"? In that tiny gap, in that question, the ego loosened its grip. What followed was not an idea, but a presence. Eckhart began to see that life only ever happens in one place, now. He writes, and I'm paraphrasing, the moment you truly enter the present, the past loses its grip, and the future stops controlling you. Mindfulness isn't about clearing your mind. It's about returning again and again to where life is actually happening. So, let's talk about the difference between being present and being mentally occupied. We often think I'll relax when life slows down, i'll be happy once things settle, or I'll be present when I have time. But presence doesn't happen when life becomes easy. Presence happens when we choose to enter this moment, even when the moment is messy, uncertain, or full. Because here's the truth, anxiety lives in the future, regret lives in the past. Peace lives in the present. Here are three practices from Tolle's teachings, simplified, of course. Number one, name what is actually happening. When your mind races, try this. Ask yourself in this moment, what is real. Not the story, not the fear, not the prediction, just the moment. Just what your senses can perceive. Number two, become the observer. You are not the thought of, I'm overwhelmed. You are the one watching the thought pass through the moment you observe a thought, you are already free from it. And number three, use the breath as an anchor. Tolle reminds us the breath is always happening. Now, slow. Inhale, slow exhale. You are here in that breath.
So, try this right now:take one breath. Feel the air enter your body, feel it leave. For just a moment, there is no past, there is no future, only the miracle of Now. Here's a journal prompt for you: think, where does my mind go when it leaves the present? And what does it want me to protect? After journaling this, an affirmation you could say to yourself, "I return to the present moment, the present moment returns me to myself." Near the end of the power of now. Tolle suggests if you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. We spend so much of our lives rushing toward a future version of ourselves, a better version, a more successful version, a more lovable version, but presence teaches us something radical. You are not becoming, you are. Right now in this breath, you are enough.
So this week, try this practice:The Ten Second Now Scan. When you feel overwhelmed, ask, Can I be present just for this one breath? Not for the whole day, not forever, just for now. And notice what happens. Thank you for being here, not just listening, but arriving. If you enjoyed this episode or found value in anything we discussed, as always, please consider liking subscribing, leaving a comment, or sharing this episode with someone who might benefit from it. And lastly, keep striving to learn and grow and make it a priority to uplift both yourself and those around you. Until next time, let yourself be present for your own life.