The Surprising Outcome of Choosing "What Is"
- johnwoychuk
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
When you first read this quote, your mind might immediately rebel.
You might think: “Why would I choose this anxiety? Why would I choose to be stuck in traffic? Why would I choose this sadness?”
It sounds counter-intuitive, perhaps even impossible. But this concept is one of the profound keys we explore in the Practicing the Power of Now Therapy Group, and it holds the secret to true emotional freedom.
The Story vs. The Simplicity of Now
To understand this quote, we have to look at where our suffering actually comes from.
Eckhart Tolle teaches us that the present moment—the Now—is usually quite simple. It is just what is.
You are sitting in a chair.
It is raining outside.
There is a sensation of tightness in your chest.
These are facts. They are simple, immediate, and manageable.
But the human mind rarely lets the moment be simple. It immediately layers a story on top of the facts.
“I shouldn't be feeling this tightness. Something is wrong with me. It’s going to last forever.”
“This rain is ruining my day. I have such bad luck.”
The suffering is not in the fact; the suffering is in the story.
The moment we resist reality—the moment we scream internally, "I don't want this!"—we create friction. We create a gap between what is happening and what we want to happen. That gap is where stress, anxiety, and misery live.
The Power of "Choosing" the Moment
When the quote suggests living "as if you had completely chosen" the moment, it is asking you to drop the tug-of-war with reality.
When you align with the Now, you stop arguing with the present moment. You say, "Okay. This is what is happening right now. I accept it."
In that split second of acceptance, the mental "story" collapses. You are no longer a victim of the moment; you are a participant in it. The energy you were wasting on resisting the situation becomes available to actually deal with the situation.
This doesn't mean you become passive. It means your actions come from a place of peace and clarity, rather than panic and resistance.
Moving from Theory to Practice
Reading about this concept is one thing; embodying it when you are stressed, tired, or triggered is another. That is why we don't just read the book—we practice it.
In the upcoming Practicing the Power of Now Therapy Group, we work together to:
Catch the Story: Learn to spot the moment your mind starts interpreting and judging reality.
Drop the Resistance: Practice the somatic and mental tools of "inner alignment."
Find the Simplicity: Return to the raw simplicity of the present moment, where peace is always waiting.
If you are tired of the heavy burden of your own resistance and want to experience the lightness of "choosing" your life exactly as it is, I invite you to join us.
The In-Person Group starts January 7th in Nanaimo.
The Online Group starts February 18th.
We have only a few spots remaining. Are you ready to align with the Now?
Click here to learn more and apply for the group or email: john@jwoychukcounselling.ca to receive the intake and consent form to get the enrolment process started
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