Eckhart Tolle Archives — SMART Living 365

Accept. Then Act.

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

This has been a sort of weird week for me. Not exactly bad but not without its challenges. So rather than stress myself out even more I decided to simply find a quote that spoke to me with the offhand chance it might speak to some of you as well. This one reminds me that no matter what the circumstance, we always have the choice about how we will respond and where we go from there. Of course, it doesn’t mean we just roll over and acquiesce but it does mean, at least to me, that we work with what shows up rather than against it. And besides, who can’t use a little advice from Eckhart Tolle now and then?

Is This The Transformation We Have All Been Waiting For?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

“Sometimes things have to break down before they can break through.”

I read on the internet yesterday that our country, and perhaps the world, is on the verge of a Great Recession. Some commentaries even referred to it as a “Deep Depression,” the likes of which the majority of us have never seen. Yikes! The uncertainty of that idea is nerve racking. However, I’ve been a student of metaphysics and New Thought for decades now, and it has been teaching and speaking about a coming shift in consciousness for an equal number of years. Could this time in history be a signal of a Great Transformation rather than a Deep Depression? Is it even possible for us to consider these times in a (dare I say) more positive view? And even if it isn’t true, is it equally possible that just entertaining the possibility of a “Great Shift” rather than a recession is one of the best things we can do for our own mental states?

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This Is It And Other Thoughts On Being Here Now

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

As most of you know, I’m a planner. Not only do I find it enjoyable to research options and then chart a course forward, I’m a big fan of nexting. (Yes, there’s a blog post which explains nexting!) For the most part, planning benefits my life in many ways. It helps me to form great habits, examine different options in order to make good decisions, and allows me to anticipate the future with optimism. But as with most things, there’s a catch.

The “downside” to planning is that sometimes it locks me into a course of action that can be rigid if not downright obsessive. Even worse perhaps, it distracts me from being present in the here and now. The good news is that every new moment offers me (and all of us) another opportunity to practice being here now, to appreciate the beauty right in front of me, and to always remember that “this is it.” [Read more…]

The Problem Is Not The Problem

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

On any given day, many of us will wake up and face what we consider to be a huge problem. If you’ve been watching the news lately, then you’ll agree. Top that off with any personal or health problems you have, and sometimes those problems appear overwhelming. But gradually through the years I’m learning that where ever and whatever I put my focus on, grows. Most problems are like that. I also remember hearing the late Norman Vincent Peale give a talk one time when he said, “The number of problems you face shows the aliveness in your life. The only people who don’t have problems are six feet under.” With that in mind, could it be that the way we choose to look at the problems confronting us is the real problem? [Read more…]

Releasing The Need To Control What Is

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful

Several weeks ago Thom came across a quote by author and speaker Eckhart Tolle that said, “Non-resistance, non-judgment, and non-attachment are the three aspects of true freedom and enlightened living.” Since then, we’ve been toying with that idea to see if it’s true or even possible. And as life would have it, personal experiences offer plenty of examples to test the theory. Is it possible that at the core of it all is the desire to control the uncontrollable?

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Do You Like To Play The Game or Just In It For The Trophy?

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: What is SMART Living?

Like the game or just going after the trophy?

The other day during my morning walk I was listening to a talk by Abraham-Hicks who is the author of The Law Of Attraction. I find that listening to talks while walking makes the time go quickly, and if I’m listening to something uplifting I start my day in a positive way. During that particular morning Abraham-Hicks was responding to a question from a young man who wanted to know why it was taking so long for his dreams to be realized. Like many people, he wanted to know if he was doing something wrong or if there was something he could do to make it happen faster. That’s when Abraham-Hicks asked the young man a question that made me stop, rewind my iPod and listen again. She asked, “Do you think any successful person is doing what they do just for the trophy? Or do you think they love the game?” When I heard those questions I knew it applied to most people, myself included, in more ways than we usually consider. [Read more…]