I did a blog post last week on book storage, and it got me motivated to blog about a book I am currently reading.

About a month ago, I started reading A New Earth, by Eckart Tolle. I usually am not driven to read a book because of Oprah, but I was really moved by the response she got from it, so I thought, what the heck.

I didn't realize that it was going to be such a hard read (a heavy subject matter). In college psychology was not my best subject, which might explain my difficulty now. However, I do like to be challenged, so maybe that's why I am enjoying the book!

I am not saying this is a bad book, it's just challenging. I have really enjoyed it for the most part and have taken some great nuggets that apply to my own life, as well as my clients. The first few chapters introduce and explain the basis of our ego's and how they effect our thinking. One excerpt that jumped off the page for me in the second chapter was:



"But we cannot really honor things if we use them as a means to self-enhancement, that is to say, if we try to find ourselves through them. This is exactly what the ego does. Ego-identification with things creates attachment to things, obsession with things, which in turn creates our consumer society and economic structures where the only measure of progress is always more."

Now I don't know about you, but that was a mouth full! How many times to we equate our value to our stuff? How often do we "feel" like we need more?

A big issue (problem) for me right now is housing and looking at buying a new home! When you look at newer homes, they are huge, it's all about square footage and who has the biggest house. You don't really see very many new developments that have houses smaller than 2,000 sq. feet.  In my mind, having more square footage just means you have to have more stuff!

I am not quite finished yet with the book, but I would have to say if you are looking for a heavy (but filling) read, check it out! I told a friend recently that reading this book is like ordering a huge steak dinner... by the time you are done, you're stuffed.

Tell me readers, what are you reading and do you need dessert?