Perceiving Problems
“If you found yourself in paradise, it wouldn’t be long before your mind would say ‘yes, but’ . . .” ~Eckhart Tolle
I was blown away by this sentence in Tolle’s first book. It touches an important truth about humans.
Problems are created in our minds. Our ego-self craves problems and cannot survive for long without them.
Even in a situation where we have gained enough clarity, our minds continue to focus on the temporariness of this clear state instead.
The other day someone said, “Well, relaxing in the moment helped, but was it not just an illusion? My problems were still waiting when I got out from my meditation.”
Problems will always remain if we continue to look from our old perspectives. In other words, a problem exists in your life because you happen to see it as one.
I know, this sounds harsh. And a natural question follows: Will my problems dissolve when I stop looking over my shoulder? Will they leave me alone if I stop seeing them altogether?
Most problems will go away if you refuse to acknowledge them. My statement will face a natural resistance, but allow me to expand on that.
First, when I say problems dissolve as we stop acknowledging them, I do not mean we ignore them.
In fact, I mean deal with them as they come in your life—one at a time. It really is an illusion to think we have problems that need to be dealt all at once. This illusion creates feeling of being overwhelmed.
It is better to stop, relax and observe the present moment. What is the immediate need?
It is not your presumed financial status a month from now.
It is not your presumed love life fiasco a year from now.
It is not your presumed clash with colleagues a week from now.
Ask yourself what is your problem now? Give it the time and attention it needs.
Secondly, when you perceive a problem, you end up introducing one even if it didn’t exist in the first place. Instead of looking for what is wrong in a situation, observe what is happening now from a place of neutral awareness--observe the situation as is. Once you do this, you have two simple choices: to accept or to reject it.
Attempt to create a simpler life. Take baby-steps. A problem is really just a present situation that has either to be dealt with or left alone.
--Tina Su
Photo by fruitbit
“If you found yourself in paradise, it wouldn’t be long before your mind would say ‘yes, but’ . . .” ~Eckhart TolleI was blown away by this sentence in Tolle’s first book. It touches an important truth about humans.
Problems are created in our minds. Our ego-self craves problems and cannot survive for long without them.
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