If I had to name a few spiritual books that had a profound impact on my early meditation practice, it would be the ones written by Eckhart Tolle.
From mental habits that make us unhappy to becoming aware of your inner critic to the three powerful ways you can overcome challenges in life, his works enrich and ennoble my spiritual practice. But the insights contained in them came at the author’s personal cost.
According to his own words, Eckhart Tolle struggled with anxiety and depression until the age of twenty nine when he experienced a moment of inner awakening. At that moment, he became a conduit for the Power of Presence, the awakened state of consciousness which transcended ego and discursive thinking, and which eventually gave birth to three books: The Power of Now, Stillness Speaks, and A New Earth. That’s why I’m sharing 100 best Eckhart Tolle quotes that will help you live in the present moment.
Why Read Famous Eckhart Tolle Quotes on the Power of Now?
Mindfulness meditation can anchor you in the present moment and free you from the torture of negative thinking.
It was one of the main reasons why I started practicing it back in 2014. At the time, I felt unhappy: everything I did or achieved did not bring lasting satisfaction. What kept me going was the hope or possibility of some improvement in the future.
Yet the finish line kept moving farther and farther away the more progress I made to reach it. But my daily meditation practiced changed all of that. It helped me realize that suffering can only exist in time; it cannot survive in the actuality of the Now. And I hope that this list of best quotes by Eckhart Tolle on living in the moment will help you come to the same realization.
100 Top Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Acceptance of the Now and Living in the Moment
- “Letting go of inner resistance, you often find circumstances change for the better.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Through self-observation, more presence comes into your life automatically.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “Every fragment of self-talk is a little story in the head that goes around, and then you look at reality through the lens of the little story.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The basis for true change is freedom from negativity. And that’s what acceptance implies: no negativity about what is. And then you see what this moment requires: what is it that is required now so that life can express itself more fully?” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you realize it’s not personal, there is no longer a compulsion to react as if it were.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “With awareness there comes choice. And so you are able to say: “I allow this moment to be as it is”. And then, suddenly, where before there was irritation, there is now a sense of aliveness and peace. And out of that comes right action.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Pain can only feed on pain. Pain cannot feed on joy. It finds it quite indigestible.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “How to be at peace now? By making peace with the present moment. The present moment is the field on which the game of life happens. It cannot happen anywhere else.” – Eckhart Tolle.
- “With awareness there comes choice. And so you are able to say: “I allow this moment to be as it is”. And then, suddenly, where before there was irritation, there is now a sense of aliveness and peace. And out of that comes right action.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The more you are focused on time – past and future – the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting, come into the present moment. Just be and enjoy being.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the Now, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain and suffering.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “When you create a problem, you create pain. All it takes is a simple choice, a simple decision: no matter what happens, I will create no more pain for myself.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over, and you lost sight of your inner purpose. You have forgotten that your state of consciousness is primary, all else secondary.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Then what is the relationship between something that you do and the state of joy? You will enjoy any activity in which you are fully present, any activity that is not just a means to an end. It isn’t the action you perform that you really enjoy, but the deep sense of aliveness that flows into.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Sometimes surrender means giving up trying to understand and becoming comfortable with not knowing.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The greatest difficulty is the mental resistance to things that arise, and the underlying assumption that they should not.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “As soon as you honor the present moment, unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease.” – Eckhart Tolle
- Related article: “3 Best Eckhart Tolle Books on Living in the Present Moment”
- “The very thing that gives you pleasure today will give you pain tomorrow, or it will leave you, so its absence will give you pain.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present Now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Ask yourself, ‘Is there negativity in me at this moment?’ Then become alert and attentive to your thoughts as well as your emotions.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “It may look as if the situation is creating the suffering, but ultimately this is not so – your resistance is.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “How do you let go of attachments to things? Don’t even try. It’s impossible. Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Waiting is a state of mind. Basically, it means that you want the future; you don’t want the present.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “True listening is another way of bringing stillness into the relationship. When you truly listen to someone, the dimension of stillness arises and becomes an essential part of the relationship.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The more you are focused on time – past and future – the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The moment you realize you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind you are no longer trapped in it.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Ask yourself: Is there joy, ease and lightness in what I am doing? If there isn’t, then time is covering up the present moment, and life is perceived as a burden or a struggle.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Failure lies concealed in every success, and success in every failure.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Do you treat this moment as if it were an obstacle to be overcome? Do you feel you have a future moment to get to that is more important?” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Those who have not found their true wealth, which is the radiant joy of Being and the deep, unshakable peace that comes with it, are beggars, even if they have great material wealth.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “You are present when what you are doing is not primarily a means to an end (money, prestige, winning) but fulfilling in itself, when there is joy and aliveness in what you do.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Neither failure nor success has the power to change your inner state of Being.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you accept this moment as it is, you can feel a sense of spaciousness within you that is deeply peaceful.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “As soon as you honor the present moment, unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain and suffering.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “To be okay with what is, which is the simplicity of this moment, is the beginning of true change.” – Eckhart Tolle
- Related article: “How to Access The Power of Now: A Guided Meditation for Stress Relief”
- “When you completely accept this moment, when you no longer argue with what is, the compulsion to think lessens and is replaced by an alert stillness.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “As you go about your life, don’t give 100 percent of your attention to the external world and your mind. Keep some within.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Allow whatever arises in the present moment to be as is.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “When you are suffering, when you are unhappy, stay totally with what is now. Unhappiness or problems cannot survive in the Now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The future, the worry, the regret, the anxiety – these are all mental events that do not have to be part of the difficulty of life; these can be transcended here and now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The more shared past there is in a relationship, the more present you need to be; otherwise, you will be forced to relive the past again and again.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Things and conditions can give you pleasure, but they cannot give you joy.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “One of the dysfunctional patterns of the mind is the assumption that the Now needs to be filled with something all the time.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Realize deeply that the present moment is all that you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain and suffering.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “It is the nature of the world of form that nothing stays fixed for very long – and so it starts to fall apart again. Forms dissolve; new forms arise. Watch the clouds. They will teach you about the world of form.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Accept the present moment and find the perfection that is deeper than any form and untouched by time.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Your unhappiness ultimately arises not from the circumstances of your life but from the conditioning of your mind.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “As long as the ego runs your life, most of your thoughts, emotions, and actions arise from desire and fear.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “When you surrender to what is and so become fully present, the past ceases to have any power. You do not need it anymore. Presence is the key. The Now is the key.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “It is through the mistakes that the greatest learning happens on an inner level.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “To stay present in everyday life, it helps to be deeply rooted within yourself; otherwise, the mind, which has incredible momentum, will drag you along like a wild river.” —Eckhart Tolle
- Related article: “Ram Dass on How to Be in Love (A Guide and a Book)”
- “Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Power over others is weakness disguised as strength. True power is within, and it is available to you now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Make it your practice to withdraw attention from the past and future whenever they are not needed.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “The more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain and suffering.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “To live skillfully and harmoniously, you need to find the satisfaction in whatever you are doing in the present moment.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “The way in which you perceive the other is determined by your own thought forms.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Give up defining yourself – to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Become at ease with the state of ‘not knowing.’ This takes you beyond the thinking mind.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “The future, the worry, the regret, the anxiety – these are all mental events that do not have to be part of the difficulty of life; these can be transcended here and now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “To experience anything fully and see it clearly there must be a moment of presence where conceptual thinking is not interfering with your experience of that moment.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Seek out a tree and let it teach you stillness.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over.” – Eckhart Tolle 73
- “Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Surrender becomes so much easier when you realize the fleeting nature of all experiences and that the world cannot give you anything of lasting value.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Use your senses fully and let the alert stillness within you be the perceiver, rather than your mind.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “All you really need to do is accept this moment fully. You are then at ease in the here and now and at ease with yourself.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Don’t let the thought of future (or past) obscure the preciousness of the present moment.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “There’s a huge amount of suffering that is generated not by the actual challenges of life but by the fictitious problems that the mind creates.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Accept the present moment and find the perfection that is deeper than any form and untouched by time.” – Eckhart Tolle
- Related article: “3 Mental Habits That Make You Unhappy (Plus an Antidote)”
- “Take a moment of stillness and allow this moment to be without imposing thought. This way we become aware of the space of not, rather than the content.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Whenever an answer, a solution, or a creative idea is needed, stop thinking for a moment by focusing your attention on your inner energy field. Become aware of the stillness.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Acceptance means: For now, this is what this situation, this moment, requires me to do, and so I do it willingly.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “You are never more essentially, more deeply, yourself than when you are still.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there,” or being in the present but wanting to be in the future.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Is fear preventing you from taking action? Acknowledge the fear, watch it, take your attention into it, be fully present with it. Doing so cuts the link between the fear and your thinking.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “No matter how long your journey appears to be, there is never more than this: one step, one breath, one moment – Now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “If your mind carries a heavy burden of past, you will experience more of the same. The past perpetuates itself through lack of presence. The quality of your consciousness at this moment is what shapes the future.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Forget about your life situation and pay attention to your life. Your life situation exists in time. Your life is now. Your life situation is mind-stuff. Your life is real.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “A great deal of what people say, think, or do is actually motivated by fear, which of course is always linked with having your focus on the future and being out of touch with the Now. As there are no problems in the Now, there is no fear either.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you are present in this moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future. Then true intelligence arises, and also love.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Suffering is necessary until you realize it is unnecessary.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you make the present moment, instead of past and future, the focal point of your life, your ability to enjoy what you do and with it the quality of your life increases dramatically.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The moment you realize you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind you are no longer trapped in it.” – Eckhart Tolle 98
- “Love is a state of Being. Your love is not outside; it is deep within you. You can never lose it, and it cannot leave you. It is not dependent on some other body, some external form.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The key to transformation is to make friends with this moment. What form it takes doesn’t matter. Say yes to it. Allow it. Be with it.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Giving attention to sensory perception takes you out of the unconscious stream of thinking and into the present moment.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “You cannot find yourself in the past or future. The only place where you can find yourself is in the Now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Defining yourself through thought is limiting yourself profoundly.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “To experience anything fully and see it clearly there must be a moment of presence where conceptual thinking is not interfering with your experience of that moment.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Part of manifestation practice is what you let go of rather than what you add.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “You attract and manifest whatever corresponds to your inner state.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Be aware of your breathing. Notice how this takes attention away from your thinking and creates space.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “When you completely accept this moment, when you no longer argue with what is, the compulsion to think lessens and is replaced by an alert stillness.” – Eckhart Tolle
Final Thoughts on Favorite Eckhart Tolle Quotes on Life and the Present Moment
Complement this list of best Eckhart Tolle quotes on The Power of Now with 3 best Eckhart Tolle books on living in the present moment, and then revisit our guided meditations on how to access the power of now and how to prevent a buildup of negative energy in your body and mind.
About the quotes’ author: World-renowned spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle conveys simple wisdom that transcends any particular religion, doctrine, or guru. A native of Germany, Eckhart Tolle attended the University of London, and upon graduation went on to become a research scholar and supervisor at Cambridge University. At 29, a profound spiritual awakening virtually dissolved his personal identity and sparked a radical change in the course of his life. It marked the beginning of an intense inward journey and he devoted the next decade to understanding, deepening, and integrating that transformation. For the past ten years, he has acted as a counselor and spiritual guide, facilitating sold-out groups in Europe and North America.
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I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. I started my meditation practice in 2014, and in 2017 I launched this website to share what I learn with others. Here are the three things you can do here:
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