Chapter 2 begins to peel back the layers of how we experience life. Eckhart calls this chapter Consciousness: The Way Out of Pain, and for me it has been one of the most eye-opening parts of the book. It asks us to notice how often we are living in our minds instead of in the reality of this moment.
In the video above, I share some of the big ideas from this chapter and how they have shown up in my own life. If something here resonates, the video will take it deeper. You can also find a full video for every chapter of this book here: Watch the full series on YouTube
Being Identified with Our Thoughts
Eckhart says most of us walk around completely identified with the voice in our head. We are not just thinking. We believe we are our thoughts.
This was hard to see at first. I thought I was being present because I was thinking about my life constantly. But presence is not thinking about your life. It is living it.
When I began to notice my thoughts, I saw how often they were about the past or the future. Regrets. Plans. Worries. Rarely about what was actually happening right in front of me. The practice became catching myself and gently coming back to now.
Acceptance
This chapter also challenges us to consider how often we are fighting with reality. Eckhart says that suffering happens when we resist what is. The moment we accept the Now as it is, even if we do not like it, we stop adding a layer of mental pain on top of it.
This hit me during a season when things were not going how I wanted. My mind kept saying this should not be happening. But when I paused and let go of that inner fight, I felt a kind of quiet strength underneath the situation. Acceptance did not mean I stopped caring. It meant I stopped resisting.
The Egoic Mind
Eckhart describes the egoic mind as the part of us that needs to compare, control, and cling to stories about who we are. It creates a sense of self out of past experiences and imagined futures.
I noticed this in my own life when I caught myself thinking things like, I will be at peace when I achieve this or when people see me a certain way. But the ego is never satisfied. The practice is to step out of that constant need for identity and return to the present moment.
Every time I caught a glimpse of this, there was a sense of relief. Like setting down something heavy I did not realize I was carrying.
Watch the Full Video
If any of these ideas speak to you, I hope you will watch the full Chapter 2 video above. In it, I share more about how these shifts have shown up in my own journey and why this chapter continues to challenge and inspire me.
This is part of a full 10-part video series, with one video for each chapter of The Power of Now. If you are walking through this book or returning to it again, you are not alone. We are in this together. You can watch the whole series here: Watch the full series on YouTube
If something stood out to you in the reading or the video, I would love to hear about it. Leave a comment and share your favorite part or any ah-ha moments you noticed.
Leave a Comment