Brand New Day

Not always, but sometimes I take on to the latest craze because, for a moment, it does help.

I picked up an Oprah magazine on Monday, and, while I am not a devotee of Oprah (see my earlier writings on Oprah and her book club victims--er, book club authors), occasionally she discovers stuff that helps. Not to mention the fact that Martha Beck's writings are in her magazines and the book section of the magazine is wonderful.

There's a lot of fuss right now about a writer called Eckhart Tolle. Basically what Tolle is proporting is that we need to live in the present, because living in any other frame of mind is to beat yourself up for no reason. We know that I am good at beating myself up. And yes, this frame of mind reminds me of many other teachers, writers and leaders and Eastern practice. It's incredibly simple. When accomplished, it works.

But accomplishing it is a strange bridge to cross...sort of on par with the physical work of crossing a tall, arched bridge in a Japanese garden. Tolle spoke with Oprah in an interview for his book she is featuring called "A New Earth," and just the interview was helpful, giving a small key to my self-battered self-esteem to "Get Out of Jail Free."

One can only work at this. I have a lot of things to forgive myself for, and so many reasons to start living in the present.