Re: Moving past Step 2
The most important concept I learned from Tolle was recognizing what the conscious focus is, and how it detracts your attention from other experiences and realities. If the ego or conscious self is likened to a lense that focuses reality, then consider that there are many other things going on around you that you cannot see through your tiny lense. It all looks blurry compared to the lense. But it's there regardless. To me that's what lessening the ego and quieting the mind is all about. It's about seeing a larger portion of reality. There are amazing things happening around you all the time. Boredom, a talkative mind, and a short attention span are all symptoms of staring through that little lense too hard. The thinking mind always has an agenda or a goal in mind, it's always trying to keep alert or on guard. This is how you recognize it, and recognizing it is the hard part!