Chapter 4 is where Eckhart starts getting very practical. He asks us to notice all the subtle ways we avoid the present moment. This chapter is called Mind Strategies for Avoiding the Now, and it is about recognizing the patterns that keep us from experiencing life as it actually is.
In the video above, I share three big ideas from this chapter and how they’ve shown up in my own life. If something here resonates, the video will take it even deeper. You can also find a full video for every chapter of this book here:
Watch the full series on YouTube
Mind Strategies for Avoiding the Now
Eckhart says the mind is always trying to escape the present. It creates endless strategies to keep us busy, distracted, or waiting for a better moment. We rehearse old conversations. We worry about the future. We tell ourselves we will be happy when the next thing falls into place.
I started to see this in my own life when I noticed how rarely I was just here. Even in simple moments like drinking coffee or driving, my mind was already on the next thing. The practice became catching those patterns and gently returning to now.
Negativity, Complaining, and Resentment
This chapter also asks us to notice how often we are resisting reality through negativity. Complaining is one form of resistance. Resentment is another. Even subtle irritation is a clue that we are saying to ourselves, this should not be happening.
When I began noticing this in my own reactions, it was humbling. But it also became an invitation. Each time I caught myself complaining, I could ask, what would it be like to accept this moment exactly as it is?
Your Inner Purpose of Your Life’s Journey
Eckhart says that your life has two purposes. There is the outer purpose, which is what you do and accomplish in the world. And there is the inner purpose, which is about how you show up in every moment. The Inner purpose is primary.
The outer purpose is always changing. New goals. New seasons. New challenges. But the inner purpose never changes. It is always about presence.
This hit me hard the first time I really sat with it. I had spent so much of my life trying to get somewhere else. I thought the meaning of my life was in the next big project or the next big breakthrough. But Eckhart is saying that presence is the purpose. Not later. Not when everything lines up perfectly. Right here. Right now.
It changes how you see even the smallest things. Washing dishes. Driving your kids to school. Having a hard conversation. Your inner purpose is not about the results. It is about bringing your full self to what is in front of you.
Watch the Full Video
If any of these ideas speak to you, I hope you will watch the full Chapter 4 video above. In it, I share more about how these practices have shifted my everyday life and how they keep drawing me back to presence.
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.
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