Something I really want to share just based on the impact it has had in my life just in the past few short days are the 3 pillars of joy, acceptance and enthusiasm. Less “woo-woo” than it sounds so the main image might be misleading!
I often read self-help books and sometimes, I’ll read, think about how good what they say sounds, underline some things and then just put them down. Usually, along with putting the book down, what I learned gets pushed to the back burner.
But other times, things just strike a cord. I was reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, which is definitely more spirituality focused than self-help like but same idea. The length of the book took me a while to get through but the last chapter really changed my perspective.
The book basically talks about your state of consciousness (or state of mind) and how important our awareness of it is at any given moment. And that involves presence. Usually, when we think about presence, we think about absolute silence in meditation or taking a deep breath.
However, this last chapter talked about three states we should feel in any given moment in order to attain some elevated “state of consciousness”. Sounds very woo-woo, I know, but here me out because they really do apply!
The first is joy. Pretty self-explanatory. Just a happiness in what you’re doing really. A full acceptance and enjoyment of the pleasure you feel in the now. If you’re out with friends having fun, joy. If you’re watching a really pretty sunset, joy. Times are fun and life is good, and joy is the feeling. We get it, but Tolle really zeroes in on this as one pillar of how we should always feel. We shouldn’t always be seeking joy, since the other extreme of that spectrum usually will involve some negative feelings.
When joy isn’t the vibe, next is acceptance. Sitting in class I may not necessarily feeling the highest amount of joy possible, but I can be calm and present in the now. Accepting my situation and finding peace in it. I sort of think about this as just a lack of resistance or negative vibes.
Last is enthusiasm. You’re planning a trip, you’re working out because of the future you’re building for yourself in doing so, same with applying for jobs, or finishing a paper you’re really proud of. I don’t think of this just merely as coming about in the process of making a mood-board or daydreaming about how fun the weekend will be. It’s enjoyment of what you’re doing right now because of something that will come about in the future because it.
Ok, sounds simple or maybe not, but this has changed the game for me! Obviously, it’s tough to always be fully aware and to be thinking about or in these three states. But, I really think it’s a good way to think about how we feel and how we want to feel in order to live the best possible life and to feel our best. It seems realistic and attainable.
Next, I hope to read the Power of Now by Tolle since this lesson from this book really has been amazing to apply and think about. Hope this makes you think about your own life and “state of consciousness” too!