Deep Life Reflections: Friday Five
Issue 48 - Here and Now
Welcome to Issue 48 of Deep Life Reflections, where I share five things I’ve been enjoying and thinking about over the past week.
In this week’s Friday Five, we explore The Power of Now, one of the most influential spiritual books of our era, examine the complexities of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster through a powerful new documentary, and reflect on two distinct concepts of time that can help us better appreciate the present moment.
Join me as we explore this week’s Friday Five.
1. What I’m Reading
The Power of Now. By Eckhart Tolle.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment was another gift from a friend during my recent hospital stay. Unknown to my friend, I’d actually bought the book just a week before. I’d heard a lot about the writings of Eckhart Tolle and how his landmark book had the power to transform thinking. I felt there was no better opportunity to take a journey to enlightenment than following major surgery.
The essence of the book is simple: true happiness is found in living in the present. Tolle argues that our suffering is often rooted in our attachment to past experiences (often characterised by regret and guilt) and our constant anxiety and fears about the future. He suggests that most people live their lives trapped in a continuous loop between the two, preventing them from experiencing the peace and joy that is inherent in the present moment. He urges us to step beyond our analytical minds and egos.
The path he advocates is mindfulness—acute awareness of our present experiences, observing our thoughts and feelings without judgment to connect with our deeper sense of self, or consciousness, which exists beyond the mind. (I explored this concept of mindfulness back in Issue 7, ‘A Beautiful Mind’.) While Tolle uses simple language and an effective question-and-answer format, I found some concepts more challenging to grasp, probably due to my analytical mind resisting. However, I just tried to go with the flow in the more spiritual discussions.
The Power of Now has a well-deserved reputation as a life-changing read. It has an excellent chapter on enlightened relationships which every person should read, as well as fascinating concepts such as the illusion of time and the distinction between life and life situations. One line from the book particularly struck me, which I underlined twice: “Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now.”
A reminder to treasure the immediacy of life, especially in the wake of life-altering events.
2. What I’m Watching
The Shuttle That Fell to Earth. Documentary by Lizzie Kempton and Danielle Spears.
This week, I watched an excellent three-part BBC documentary on the ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia mission, The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth. The documentary tells the tragic story of the seven crew members who lost their lives after Columbia disintegrated upon reentering the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana on February 1, 2003. It was the second Space Shuttle mission to end in disaster, after the loss of Challenger and its crew in 1986.
This exceptionally well-researched documentary attempts to explain what happened and why, twenty-one years after the event. The filmmakers have access to archival footage and official records, plus in-depth interviews with many ex-NASA employees and members of the astronauts’ families, who understandably remain traumatised from the tragic events. (The interview with the now-grown son of astronaut Laurel Clark is particularly affecting; he had begged her not to go.)
The film takes a thorough, chronological approach. We meet each of the seven astronauts and follow them through the launch and their 16-day science and research mission in space, before their return to earth ends in local amateur footage of pieces of metal falling from the sky across Texas, leading many residents to believe they were under attack (9/11 had taken place only fifteen months prior).
What becomes the centrepiece of the documentary is the launch footage showing a chunk of foam insulation breaking off the external tank and striking the edge of the shuttle’s left-wing. Each former NASA employee recounts their own story and experience of dealing with this inconclusive footage and assessing the threat level. What becomes clear is how the rigid, hierarchy-driven organisational structure at NASA significantly contributed to the tragedy. Almost every NASA ex-employee interviewed expressed regret at not pushing their case more forcefully, some are moved to tears. The filmmakers conclude NASA failed to think about failure, indicating a certain arrogance amongst the agency’s managers, who were under pressure to stick to rigid schedules and not deviate from the norm.
The consensus is that this was a very avoidable tragedy. The Columbia disaster serves as a tragic example of what can happen when there’s an overreliance on established procedures and a lack of attentiveness to present, emerging warnings. It’s also a cautionary tale about the dangers of inflexibility. Drawing comparisons with the core messages from The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle suggests that personal enlightenment and growth stem from letting go of rigid thought patterns and embracing the fluidity of the present moment. The Columbia disaster further reveals how an illusion of control can lead to catastrophic outcomes when unforeseen challenges arise.
The Columbia tragedy led to significant changes within NASA, including a reevaluation of its culture, procedures, and safety protocols. Tragically, for the seven astronauts of the Columbia—and their families—it came too late. Yet, the lessons learned are a reminder for NASA to operate in the ‘here and now,’ making sure the astronauts’ legacy continually informs safer missions today.
The Shuttle That Fell to Earth can be accessed on BBC iPlayer (VPN required for non-UK residents).
3. What I’m Contemplating
In life, there lies a truth, often unnoticed: the present moment is the only time we ever have. Our lives are an unbroken series of ‘nows’ strung together over a lifetime. We can see the wisdom of embracing this moment—the singular, irreplaceable moment—as the cornerstone of a life well-lived.
In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle introduces two concepts of time: “clock time” and “psychological time”. Clock time, the practical ticking of seconds, minutes, and hours, serves a functional purpose. It governs the practical aspects of our lives, the appointments we keep, the schedules we follow. Engaging with clock time is necessary to address the demands of the day, but it’s crucial to do so without losing ourselves in it. Indeed, we should immediately return to present moment awareness to avoid a buildup of “psychological time.” This psychological time is an identification with the past, an anchor that holds us back, as well as a compulsive projection into the future, a chain that pulls us away from now.
Learning from the past is part of clock time too. It allows us not to repeat the mistakes of yesterday. Setting goals, laying out plans, and moving towards them—these are also constructive uses of clock time, which are future-focused. Yet, even as we learn from what has been and plan for what will be, the present moment remains paramount. The lessons from the past find their true value only when applied in the now. The steps we take towards our goals are taken in the now. Every action, every decision, is made in the immediacy of the present. This is why I highlighted those lines from The Power of Now above.
To give this a personal and practical impact, this week I started some very light running as part of my cardiac rehabilitation. During my early morning walk, my physio included one-minute easy running sessions for every five minutes of walking. It felt great to be running again, but I was careful to run in the now—to hear my breath, focus on my form, and how I was feeling. These sensations are all immediate and real, firmly anchored in the present moment.
After all, it’s the only moment we truly possess: now.
4. A Quote to note
“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
- Mark Twain
5. A Question for you
Can you identify a moment from this week that you wish you had been more present for?
Thanks for reading and being part of the Deep Life Journey community. Have a great weekend.
James
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