Everyone experiences life differently. We all have different views on life and how we should live. However, the best advice that I received from reading books and listening to teachings was their wisdom. This post will share how I became wiser after reading this spiritual book.
What does wisdom mean?
In Emmerance words, wisdom comes from the experience of life. As you go through life, you become wiser in different areas; that’s why they say, “the older you get, the wiser you become.”
I don’t think that you need to be old to be wise. The best way to become wiser is to learn from other people and apply what you learned in your life.
Just like John C. Maxwell says in his book, Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn, “Knowledge may come from study, but wisdom comes from learning and improving in the wake of your mistakes.”
The story behind the book that made me wiser
I discovered Eckhart Tolle on a packed bus one morning. I was on my way back home from work. As I was standing inside the bus, I noticed a student beside me reading a book. It felt like she was absorbed by it.
Since I’m tall, I was able to read a few words in that book. I remember reading, “Illusion will never satisfy you. Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free.” Okay, I remembered the quote after I read the book myself and highlighted it.
On the bus, when I read the quote, I thought about it at first, but I couldn’t understand. Then the woman closed her book and put it in her purse. I only had the chance to read Eckhart Tolle and remember the colour of the book.
Immediately, I opened amazon and tried writing the name to see if I could find the same book. Thank God wifi exists because I have a short memory.
When I found the book on Amazon, I immediately bought the Kindle version because I had a little curiosity that wouldn’t go away. The book’s title was A New Earth; Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.
When I bought the book, I looked for ways to transform my life but couldn’t figure it out. Sometimes when I do things unexpectedly, it feels like it’s meant to be. Everything happens for a reason.
When I got the book, it felt like I was supposed to read that book. Many things Eckhart shared made sense to me.
The Book A New Earth taught me two different lessons.
The book A New Earth talks about the Ego. It was the first time I read about the Ego and the true meaning of the word. I won’t spoil the book, so you have to read it in your own free time.
Identifying myself and loving others;
You become wiser by knowing who you are. When Eckhart explains that “Illusion will never satisfy you,” he means that you have to see the world as is. As you start to understand the human brain and how we function, you become aware of your true self.
The Ego that you know will not be the same once you read the book. I learned that the Ego is the illusion that we have of ourselves. My identity doesn’t come from what other people say about me or what I say about myself.
In my previous post, How To Turn Self-Criticism into Self-Love, I shared that you’re not perfect, but you were created perfectly. There were no mistakes when we got born. When you look at a baby, you have a sense of awe. You see God’s work in perfection because the baby is made perfectly.
However, when we grow up, we start identifying ourselves with different groups, cultures, religions and more. That’s because our Ego takes over. The illusion of being from a particular culture, the feeling of belonging to something or someone becomes greater.
Once you realize this, you will stop identifying yourself with anything you call into your identity. When you do that, you become wiser as you understand your true self. You will also start to accept other people as themselves even though they identify themself with their own illusions.
When you start doing that, you will love others because they’re human beings like you. You will stop comparing yourself to other people. The wisdom will come through your mind and actions.
Living life stress-free;
Before obtaining the book, I was asking myself questions. Questions like “what is my purpose in life?” “Why was I created?” “How can I use my life at its full potential.” Since I just had my bachelor’s in Marketing, I was frustrated because my employment had nothing to do with my field.
When I finished the book, I realized that all I had to do was focus on the present moment. This life lesson that I learned helped me get a promotion at work, find new employment and reach goals that I’ve never thought possible.
Near the end of the book, the author explains how you can find live life stress-free. There are three states of mind that you can apply to help you live better. You don’t have to be in the three states of mind all at once, but you have to have at least one of them.
Acceptance: When you do something that you don’t enjoy doing, you have to learn to accept and come to terms with it. An example the author uses is when you’re changing your tires in the middle of nowhere at night under the pouring rain. I’m sure nobody will enjoy doing it. However, you must accept your situation, continue driving and arrive at a safe place.
When I read that, I thought about my job at that time. Many people aren’t happy with their jobs, but they still go because they have to make ends meet. When you go to that employment, you have to accept that you need money without complaining or being stressed. With that, you will also understand that everything is temporary, you will eventually find another employment you’ll enjoy.
Enjoyment: You get a sense of aliveness when you start to enjoy what you’re doing. If you don’t mind doing the task or it doesn’t cause any negative emotions, you can enjoy doing it. The trick is not to wait for an event to come or obtain something to be in a joyful state.
You can enjoy whatever you do just by being joyful while doing it. The author explains that it’s by being conscious of your actions that you pour joy into it.
Focusing on the present moment will help you find your life’s purpose. Every day, you have to focus your attention and energy on what is happening at that moment.
For example, when you’re doing a task like doing the laundry, don’t get irritated or annoyed. Focus on what you’re doing and be conscious of it. Being mindful will pour joy from within you to the action that you’re performing.
Enthusiasm: in Eckhart’s words, “enthusiasm means there is deep enjoyment in what you do plus the added element of a goal or a vision that you work toward.” Many people get this when they wake up one day and know what they should do. They understand their life’s purpose.
Being enthusiastic is when you pour your energy into what you’re doing. You’re doing it because that’s what you should be doing. With zero stress because you’re in alignment with your purpose. Enthusiasm happens when you combine enjoyment with a goal.
It’s how you apply these three states of mind that you become wiser.
Since the book is a spiritual book, a blog post like this can’t explain its wisdom. Therefore I highly suggest that you read it and apply it in your life.
It took me a while to become implement the lessons in my life. Honestly, after a year and a few months, I’m still struggling with my Ego, and staying in the present moment. However, I realized that by practicing the methods explained above, I became wiser.
When you learn how to control your mind, emotions and remain conscious in your everyday tasks, you start to align yourself with your real purpose.
If you want to find your purpose in life, I learned from Steve Harvey that your purpose is what you do with the least amount of effort. Once you understand this and add enjoyment to the task plus a goal, you will become enthusiastic.
Again, wisdom comes from experience. When you figure out that what you’ve been doing isn’t working for you, you have to do things differently. I know that the lessons that I learned from Eckhart Tolle made me accept my life the way it is, and I learned how to implement his life’s struggles into my life to get better results.
