We are so caught up in our daily tasks to notice the fleeting moments of life. According to Ekhart, the present moment is all we have, there is no future or past. These are only memory or anticipation. The past gave us an identity and the future is simply intangible promises which are illusions. We all say that time as precious but Eckhart stresses that it is the point in that time that is precious. Eckhart calls it the NOW and encourages us to stop fixating on the future or the past and focus on the Now.
It's easy to get stuck dwelling on the past. Maybe you had a bad breakup, lost a job, or simply wish something had gone another way. Even worse, you might sit around waiting for the future to come along and save you. You hope that someone will find you, a great job will come knocking on your door, or things will just get better somehow. Combine both of those thought processes and suddenly the present moment in front of you has lost all of its value. To truly move on from your past and take control of your future, you have to take them out of your mind and focus on what you can do right now.
”The more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain, of suffering – and free of the egoic mind.” —Eckhart Tolle (from The Power of Now)
It is important to focus on making the Now the main priority in your life. Even if the present moment is uncomfortable or difficult, accepting rather than trying to fight it or go against it will bring great rewards.