If you’ve ever watched the world-renowned “Oprah” show, you’ve no doubt heard of Eckhart Tolle. He’s some sort of German spiritual teacher who has become Oprah’s latest “guru.” After his book of the same name came out, Oprah saw fit to feature him and his work numerous times on her show and in various podcasts she hosted. Supposedly this guy advocates that the way to understanding and following the true purpose for their life is by going with the flow, living in the “now” and allowing discoveries about your purpose to naturally come to light.
According to the doctor, the universe is naturally aligned to help you discover your life’s purpose, and all you have to do is be open to what nature is trying to tell you, and you will find your purpose and thus your true happiness.
Oh, please. Give me a break. Frankly, I think this guy is a crock. I didn’t enjoy his books and I didn’t enjoy this film either. The premise that I can find my life’s mission and my passion by simply being open to it strikes me as ridiculous. Any journey requires some work, some planning, some effort on the part of the seeker. Yes, I agree with Tolle that each moment in life provides a potential for discovery, but I also believe that if we wish to make these discoveries, we need to get up off our bums and make the effort to search that truth out. If you want to know if you’d be happy as a writer, well you need to write. You can’t just wait for the opportunity to write to appear to you. You need to create those opportunities — and that’s where the good Dr. Tolle and I come to a difference of opinion.