Rick Singer - Now: Embracing the Present Moment

Richard Singer is first of all a real human being who is quite faulty and still struggles with life on a daily basis, however on a worldly basis he is an award winning author, trained psychotherapist, college instructor, and most importantly a seeker of truth. He continuously searches for wisdom to use in his life, as well as helping other human beings in their precious journey. He has studied Eastern Psychology, Buddhist Healing, and Non-Violence at the Doctoral Level; in addition, he has spent years devoted to the study of wisdom recorded throughout history. He seeks to impart this knowledge to the world through his writing. His primary purpose is to benefit humanity in any way possible. Richard states that My books are not only for reading; they are meant to be lived.

You can find out more about Richard and his books at www.EmbracingthePresent.com or contact him directly at RAS9999@aol.com.

Thank you so much for spending your precious time reading this book. I was so lucky to have so many incredible contributors and such inspiring essays. After reading these touching essays I was overwhelmed with inspiration and truly felt within my being that this book needed to reach a worldwide audience. I am humbled by being chosen to share this with you and I ask you to share this book with everyone you know so we can all have the ability to live fulfilling lives in this very moment. Now is the time to change our lives in order to help change humanity.

When I reflect upon my writing, I realize what an incredible gift it is to share the knowledge that I have been given by so many great teachers throughout history. To express my thoughts of Truth, and realize my purpose, is the greatest opportunity I have ever had in life. There is no better feeling than to know that I have helped someone grow or achieve peace in their life. One such experience comes to mind. The experience will never escape me and I think this is one of the main reasons that I continue writing. The simple yet profound experience happened when I received a letter from a prisoner in Georgia who I had never met, seen or spoken to before. I opened the letter not knowing what to expect, or the reason it had been sent to me. All I know is that when I read it I felt an immense warmth flow through my body and at that point realized the reason that I wrote Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul. This one personal reason made the book worthwhile and I knew that my purpose was accomplished.

The letter was from an older gentleman who read my book while lying in his cell in a maximum-security prison. How my book ended up there I will never know, but what I do know is that it was right where it was supposed to be. This gentleman shared that my book had transformed his life and gave him the meaning that he needed to make it through his sentence. He consistently stated that the book gave him a way to free himself from despair and he promised himself he was going to live a life filled with peace. That is why I write. I believe my message needs to be shared with at least one person in the Universe. If my books reach that one person, I am satisfied because one person can share a message of peace and it will travel the entire world many times. Thank you for letting me share one more book with you, the most important person in the Universe.

The book you have in your hands is another gift that I was given and I want to share it with you. It contains a simple, yet profound message that has the power to change lives and transform humanity. Now is a book of 99 reflections along with several inspiring and practical essays with the single purpose of helping the reader make the most of the only moment they are given. Each reflection is written to be read separately, one day at a time while fully practicing the message contained within. This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover and then put on a shelf. That is useless and my purpose contained within is to be useful and transformative. You may find the reflections repetitive and that is all right. Repetition is the only way we learn and are able to break through our stubborn ego. Be patient, stay in the moment and allow the words to enter your life completely.

I wrote this book for you because I know the immense joy that living in the Now offers me in my life and I wanted to freely give this experience to you and all of humanity.

I specifically feel intense peace from the little things in life. This peace and tranquility comes to me when I am aware of the moment and become one with what is directly in front of me. I must admit that I enter the eternal present through simple yet extremely pleasurable tasks such as feeding my fish and watching them freely flow through the waters that surround them, or watering my Bonsai tree as I realize that I am connected to each leaf and blossoming flower. When I gaze at the stars at night I enter the eternal and these are the experiences that I want you to have. I hope you enjoy the gift I present you and experience the joy that lives only in the Now.

Go forth and attach your individual meaning and purpose to this book. I look forward to sharing the miracles that manifest in your life by living in the Now.

RAS
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Edie Weinstein

As I am typing these words, my body; this vehicle that totes around my essence is sitting in half lotus with the laptop in front of me on the purple cotton sheets of my bed, mounds of pillows support my back. It is a glorious, sun splashed Sunday morning. Music is sweetly issuing forth from my radio; the sounds of my favorite weekend morning show called Sleepy Hollow on WXPN 88.5 in Philadelphia. On my bedside table, a cup of ginger tea beckons and I sip in between words. What a juxtaposition of images and experiences. Input from all directions. Present and not present all at once.

Memory of a joyful occasion yesterday, floats into my awareness. The wedding of friends held at an exquisite retreat center called Mt. Eden Retreat where kindred spirits gathered to celebrate the joining of this lovely couple. Love, laughter, luscious pot luck food, delightful dancing, heart opening conversation; is there much better than that? As my physical container is here and now, my mind, sometimes my friend, sometimes my adversary is off a full day ago, having its way. This time it is a pleasant encounter with the past. On other occasions, not so delightful as all of the shoulda, woulda, coulda thoughts come flooding back. Monkey mind chatter that plagues me with fear, lack and limitation. When able, I feed the monkey a virtual banana to quiet her for a bit. The question is: Is either one of these mental meanderings real once the event has passed?

As I allow for the pleasurable experiences from yesterday to flow through, my body recalls it as if it is happening in the moment; with cellular memory kicking in and I smile. As I permit the erstwhile yucky thoughts to hold sway, my throat tightens, my belly knots up and I feel lightheaded. My body doesnt know the difference, but my conscious, awakening mind and heart can tell and it is at that point that I can question what is real. And so my day goes, wavering back and forth between those two states. Pain and pleasure. Truth and fallacy. I choose in which to remain. Awareness is the key. So much is under the surface and when I am in the moment, I can tell the difference.

One of my many hats is that of a journalist who, for the past 20-some years has interviewed many of the best known wisdom teachers on the planet; from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to Ben and Jerry. One of my favorites is Dan Millman; author of Way of The Peaceful Warrior. A line from the book that stands out for me is this one: Sometimes you have to lose your mind to come to your senses. In modern culture, the concept of losing our minds is terrifying. Another of my guises is that of a social worker in a psychiatric hospital, so that particular reference is pejorative. When I consider the loss of mind, I sometimes smile since at times, my mind is like a small child behind the wheel of a runaway bus on a collision course with a brick wall. She is having a blast, even though she cant quite see over the steering wheel. I gotta get the adult to commandeer the bus while encouraging the child to learn how to responsibly drive. Not always an easy task but necessary if I am to live effectively in the world.