A phrase you’ve heard so many times, right? “Here and now.” But what does it even mean?

Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and international bestselling author ‘Now! Only this moment is truly yours ‘ and ‘A New Earth: the Awakened and Conscious Life’, the former says that for the ego, the present moment is almost non-existent. “For him, only the past and the future matter. This total perversion of truth results in the fact that the mind, when it operates in ‘ego mode’, functions inappropriately. It is constantly trying to keep the past alive, because without it – who would we be? It is constantly reaching into the future to ensure its survival and to find some kind of satisfaction or fulfilment in it. It tells you: ‘One day, when this and that happens, everything will be fine with me; then I will live happily and peacefully.’ And even when he does seem to be dealing with the present, the present is not what he really sees. Or rather, he sees it in a completely distorted way, because he sees it through the eyes of the past. Or he narrows it down to the achievement of a goal, a goal which is always somewhere in the future, as he imagines it. Observe your own mind and you will see that it works exactly like that. And yet the key to liberation is in the present moment. You cannot find that while you are stuck in the mind.”

Time, ego, mind and the timeless ‘now’

Because it is really difficult to put into words or to. to spread certain insights and knowledge, it makes sense to turn also to Eckhart for further clarification, who in his book ‘Now! Only this moment is truly yours’ further explains: “And why does the mind so frantically deny and resist this ‘now’? Because without time, that is, without past and future, it cannot function and maintain control over things. The timeless ‘now’ is a mortal threat to it. Time and mind are in fact inseparable friends. /…/ The mind wants to control everything, so it is constantly trying to cover up the present moment with the past and the future. Thus the life force and the infinite creative power of Being, which is inseparable from the present moment, remain under the cover of time; our true nature is hidden behind the screen of time. And in the mind the ever heavier burden of time accumulates. All of us humans are groaning under this burden, but at the same time we are only adding new weight to it, each time we ignore or deny this precious ‘now’ – or reduce it to a means of achieving some future moment that exists only in the mind, never in reality. The burden of time, which thus accumulates in the human mind, collective and individual, also contains an enormous amount of pain preserved from the past. So if you no longer want to inflict pain on yourself and others, if you no longer want to add new pain to the past pain that is still eating away at you, then don’t create any more time, or at least no more than is necessary to cope with the practical aspects of your life. And how do you stop creating time? Realise, realise to your core, that the present moment is all you really have; make ‘now’ the main focus of your life. Whereas before you dwelt in time and only occasionally and briefly visited this ‘now’, from now on rather dwell in it and only occasionally and briefly visit the past and the future when it is necessary for practical reasons. Always be attached to the present moment, always be open to it.”

Eckhart Tolle: “Can there be anything more futile, more pointless, than to resist something inside that already ‘is’? What could be more unhealthy than to resist life itself, which is now and only now? So surrender to what ‘is’. Accept life – and see how it will begin to work ‘for’ you, and no more against you.”

How are we – really?

Something very similar, but from a more everyday point of view and in words that are familiar to the average Westerner trapped in – as they say overseas – a ‘9 to 5’ working day, is also revealed by Jenna Kutcher, online marketing expert, author and presenter of the hugely successful How Are You, Really? podcast ‘The Goal Digger’who describes herself as ‘obsessed’ with teaching people how to make a living doing what they love to do.

Jenna so generously shares her philosophy on how to live a life that exists outside the tired cliché of ‘having it all’, which she herself rebelled against when she turned 23. Jenna left a promising job in the corporate world, bought a cheap camera and started her own business as a wedding photographer. From that single investment in herself, she built a successful business, a successful podcast and a remarkable brand. But what’s most inspiring is that Jenna embraces the simple idea that we, especially women, long for a fulfilled life, which she feels is entirely achievable just by ‘taking a moment’ to soak up the richness of our experiences and create a lifestyle that makes room for a truly fulfilled life. That is why the author also invites us to ask ourselves – honestly and truly – “How are you, really?”.

What do we need?

Because reading (or devouring, to be honest 😁) Jenna Kutcher’s bestselling book coincided nicely with my attendance AWE Business Event for Womenorganised by the Slovenian entrepreneurial community CEED in Ljubljana’s Crystal Palace at the beginning of September, I would like to refer to some of the calls for self-examination and the very inspiring messages delivered by Maria Anselmi, a successful businesswoman of Italian roots, who has worked in Slovenia for many years and now lives and works in Switzerland.

Maria told the women entrepreneurs gathered at the event not to be afraid to ask what we need (on our journey) and then, of course, to say it (loud and clear). “Don’t be afraid to fail and be bold, but at the same time tell your story and welcome your own success”, she encouraged. Even when we fall, let it not stop us, but let it be an opportunity to learn, a new lesson that we can ‘cash in’ for further growth. For with every fall, we gain a new experience, a new story, Anselmi reminded us, concluding, ” Trust in yourself!”

Maybe all of the above sounds a bit abstract (Tolle) or even too easy (Jenna), maybe even clichéd (Maria), but hand on heart – when was the last time you really asked yourself how you are and what you need? When was the last time you looked into the core of your being and had an honest inner conversation?

As I do Ayurvedic treatments, which is one of the things I am doing more and more (and based on this part of my work I am planning a unique ‘Ayurvedic coaching programme’ soon, which I will do individually, i.e. one-to-one), I find that (unfortunately!) people are not willing to do enough for themselves. Really for themselves. Because, presumably, they don’t have the time. Because they have so many other, supposedly more important, things to do. For others who need them too. But how – zaboga! (pardon the expression) – will a dysfunctional individual eventually take care of others, if he — well, dysfunctional anyway?! No car runs on fossil fumes (or, more recently, electric sparks) for very long either.

So, dear readers, and also readers, I really ask you: how are you really?

The answer to this – again, hand on heart – quite simple question will – believe me! – the answer to the question of what “here and now” means will also emerge. Trust in this. Trust in yourself.

If you feel you’re not quite there yet, but would like to be, just get in touch. Because I am also discovering another path of action – a path that has been calling me since I discovered the joys of the here and now, I warmly invite all of you who would like to do the same, and who therefore feel that you are not (yet) quite at the right point in your life story, to contact me at lena@pikanai.org. Through a combination of Ayurveda (the science of life) and business-transformational coaching, we will get you to your PATH in seven strategically designed steps. “Here and now!”