What I Know for Sure: Oprah on How Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” Changed Her Life

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[Editor’s note: On the 15th anniversary of Oprah’s selecting A New Earth as an Oprah Book Club pick, we went into the archives to find out the reasons for the unexpected choice. Here’s Oprah’s column from that time, explaining how it came to be.]

I made a really good decision, and I’m so excited, I can’t stop talking about it.

In January, I chose A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle as my 61st Book Club selection. I’d never recommended a book in the spiritual or self-help genre before. But because A New Earth had such a profound impact on me, I thought others might also be struck by the idea of putting the ego in check and becoming more aware of being rather than doing.

I know for sure there is no real meaning to life without a spiritual component.

Spirit, to me, is the essence of who we are. That essence doesn’t require any particular belief. It just is.

The most remarkable and rewarding experience for me has been to witness other people recognizing this essence for themselves. Every week, millions of people continue to download the webcast conversations I’ve had with Eckhart based on the book. And the message boards reveal a new kind of tribe emerging—a global community of seekers learning from and teaching each other how to be with our humanity. People are getting it: that being aware of the present moment is what matters most. It’s transformative. It redefines what it means to be alive.

Talking with Eckhart all these weeks has made me aware of both the depth of spirituality and its simplicity. I now know for sure that spirituality can be something as ordinary—and extraordinary—as giving your full-force, 100 percent attention to another person without thinking about what else you need to be doing right then. Or making an effort to do something good for someone. Or starting your day with a full moment of silence. Or waking up to literally smell the coffee, “tasting” its aroma through your senses, making every sip sheer pleasure, and when it's no longer sheer pleasure, putting it aside.

Spirituality is about paying attention to your life—always asking, in every moment, “What can I learn from this?”

What I know for sure: The light in your life comes in one conscious breath at a time.

Breathe easy.

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