Some of you may be familiar with Eckhart Tolle. He has become pretty big within certain circles after publication of his book The Power of Now. What I find interesting about him is not so much his ideas, which are essentially a westernized synthesis of many of the ideas of Buddhism and Christianity mixed in. It is how his ideas are presented in his own unique style of writing. Straightforward, common sense, but at the same time, answering many of the questions or criticisms a reader may have as the move through the text.
The concepts are high level and have obviously struck a chord for millions of readers. The central theme of his thesis is that we all identify with our ego, our desire for more and our constant focus on the past and the future and how it relates to the ego. Such focus on the past and future causes us to never live "in the now" or in the single moment we occupy for our whole lives.
He would assert that people confuse their ego with who they are, and thus become unconscious in their actions and a drive for continual gratification through external forms such as money, possessions, power, substances, etc. However, these needs are never filled because the ego always wants more, and this always leads, eventually, to unhappiness and misery. I believe it was Bruce Springsteen who said "Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king, and the king ain't satisfied until he rules everything".(sorry, I couldn't resist)
However, you don't need to take my word for it. Take a look at the interview below. I also have included a link to his site if you are so inclined. Personally, I recommend his books to anyone who may be feeling a bit lost given the current situation. They have provided much calm and confidence in my outlook, and maybe they can do the same for you, no matter how difficult things may appear.
Eckhart Tolle interview excerpt
Tolle website
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