Once in a lifetime

In an amazing display of cosmic irony, I sat in a hall listening to the calm voice of Eckhart Tolle mere blocks away from the largest Edmonton Oilers watch party in history, as tens of thousands of fans watched the Oilers play in game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.

The two events, while both rare opportunities, could not have been more opposite in nature.

While most people in my universe celebrated this monumental sporting event, Karina, mom, dad, and I sat quietly listening to this 76 year old, enlightened spiritual teacher, describe the challenges of ‘Identity’ and ‘Ego’, standing in the way of achieving a harmonious and fully present life.

During the whole playoff run, the phrase “once in a lifetime opportunity” was repeated over and over, especially as the Oiler’s got closer to the Stanley Cup. 

It seemed that “once in a lifetime” often acted as ‘permission’ for fans to justify the thousands of dollars spent on game tickets, or the loss of sleep associated with parties and late night game watching.

A resounding message from Eckhart is the power of living fully in the now, rather than dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future. 

So whether you are cheering at the top of your lungs for your favorite team,

quietly watching your children play,

or listening to your favourite guru explain life,

Each moment of time is completely unique to the next, its own “once in a lifetime” moment, deserving of reverence, gratitude, and attention.

• Now that’s a peak ethos