Initiating Change Where You Are Right Now | Q&A Eckhart Tolle

I take care of patients from surgery, chemotherapy, hospice, end of life. And there's that. That same pressure on all aspects not to spend the time, take care of them, maybe the way that we would like to, if we could. So I'm doing this to help take care of me, which is great. But my question is related to all the other physicians that I work with who are suffering. And I can see it in them. And it's. The more that I learn your teachings, the more I see the suffering in them. And I don't know what to do to help them.

Right. I think I saw your question. I had selected it to answer. If it was a written question that might have been yours. That was good. So I'm glad you were chosen. Have you made any attempt to somehow convey this to your colleagues? Maybe unsuccessful attempts so far?

To some degree, just over the last couple years, there's been real research showing, you know, burnout, and that's a definable thing. And so we can use the term burnout, which doesn't seem to offend people to talk about it. And then I can we. I've introduced some mindfulness strategies because that's another term that doesn't seem to offend people.

I was just going to say that mindfulness has become almost acceptable. So you can, if you use that word, that might be more acceptable than presence. It's the same thing, of course. But I don't use mindfulness because it implies that your mind is full. But that's okay. So what about creating a support group for people who work in similar capacities, both people that you know personally and perhaps other people? Because nowadays, the strange thing is, the wonderful thing about the technology that we have nowadays, not only it amplifies human madness, because any person can put out any thought and immediately, no matter how crazy it is, there will be a few thousand people in the world who will respond to it and agree with you and participate in the craziness. But on the other hand, there's also. You can reach so many people through the media, those things, Internet and so on. But you would start on a small scale. What about a mindfulness group for physicians? You could call it that. You could become the leader of that because.

Okay.

Sometimes life asks you to do something. It may ask you to do something before you may think you're ready for it, but life knows better. And the strange thing is, you as a person would never really feel ready for this, because it's hard to do. But if you can become still and get out of the way, because becoming still means getting out of the way. If you can become still, you'll be amazed. And I'm not only talking to you, but many others. You'll be amazed how empowered suddenly the words that you speak become or the energy that flows through you and how inspired you become and what it might lead to. Because things need to change. If the system, not only in medicine, but in many other areas, is bribe for either collapse or complete change, it cannot go on the way it's going because it can only become more disintegrating. And no matter where you look, it's a question of it will either collapse or change. And if it collapses, that's fine too. Now I'm talking about social systems and so on in general. Eventually something more conscious will arise, or something more conscious may arise and transform the old before it collapses completely. So what is it that you could. The ideas will come to you. You can just offer to them, for example, have a meditation, show them what mindfulness is, see if they like it and then go on from there and then transmit it. Go on the Internet, contact others. It may suddenly spread. There are people in mainstream who are doing this. I got invited by a scientist to Stanford University a couple of years ago. I gave a talk there and you would have thought they would not be interested in what I have to say. But I was wrong. They were very interested. No, not everybody came, but many people did come. And this is a scientist who actually he is a. I believe he's a neurosurgeon and he teaches at Stanford. He is extremely interested in mindfulness and. And spreading the message. He's connected also to Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. So maybe he can also. You can talk to him and see what feedback you get from him. It's good if you can. I don't know if you've met other physicians here. If you can build up a support network of people who can then support others. There are infinite possibilities. But anybody who is here would have to consider themselves as a leader in this. Because you may not yet be fully present all the time and fully enlightened on a daily basis, but you know much more than most. I mean, and I don't mean conceptual knowledge. There's a knowing in you of that dimension of consciousness that is still news to many. And I believe that the world desperately needs you. And you start in your world you can reach. The most appropriate place for you to reach others is within your sphere of influence. And that is your work. So what exactly what form that will take, only you can know. It will be Helpful to connect with others, get feedback, talk about it. What can we do? And then the person at Stanford, I believe, is Professor James Doty. Doty. Unfortunately, I don't know how to spell it. D O T Y something like that, I can let you know. So see yourself as a spearheading, this movement of awakening, because they need you. So not only your patients need you, your colleagues need you. And then the work that you do, which is wonderful, will be enhanced immeasurably by bringing a different state of consciousness to it. And once that happens, then the entire system may begin to undergo a change. Change always begins within. How do you feel about this?

I'm a little speechless, but it's a crisis and I think that it really is a crisis. And so I know you're speaking not just to me, but to others that are here. And. And I think that we need to do this in all aspects of medicine. So if I can help. So thank you for giving me the push.

Thank you. I know that Dr. Patel and his wife is here. He's been coming for many years. And have you met him? I believe he has a in his cancer clinic in Bakersfield. He introduces also counseling and mindfulness. Maybe you can connect with him.

Great, thank you.

Good, thank you. This mind made sense of self is also much more focused on the negative than the positive. To be free, you awaken to who you are beyond your history and your life situation. It.