Mind the Gap

I just finished reading Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" and found some of the distinctions in the book to be very powerful and insightful.  Like many books on development, I found it a bit repetitive, however, here are the gems for me:

Clock Time vs. Psychological Time

• Clock Time = Now in physical space and in real time requests/actions.
• Psychological Time = In the future/past.  Generally manifests as worry/anxiety for me.

I found this distinction very helpful in catching myself spending a lot of time worrying about something rather than doing something about it.

Situations vs. Problems

• Situations = Now.  Choice is to accept or take action.
• Problems = In the mind, usually bound to psychological time.

One point being made was that situations do occur that are not pleasant for us.  Life does happen, we step on bees, feel pain, etc.  And, we have the choice to work with situations and/or make them into problems.  I could take action on having stepped on a bee and be done with it.  Or, I could unconsciously build up that moment into a fear for the future and start spinning out of control whenever I see a bee.  The problem occurs when one's mind starts spinning without consciousness (defined as being able to step into the gap and watch the mind's talk). 

Reactions are your test of being/consciousness:

You will be taken over by a reaction, which ultimately is always some form of fear, and pulled into deep unconsciousness.  Those challenges are your tests.  Only the way in which you deal with them will show you and others where you are at as far as your state of consciousness is concerned, not how long you can sit with your eyes closes or what visions you see.

...Once a mind pattern, an emotion, or a reaction is there, accept it. You were not conscious enough to have a choice in the matter.

This isn't saying that you're not responsible for your reactions. In that particular moment you could not step into the gap, or even perceive that you could.  Oops...welcome to being human.

It's like walking down the street and stepping into a divot in the sidewalk.  Had you seen it, you would have chosen differently.  But you didn't.  You can accept what happened and in that acceptance get present to those divots (to hopefully mind the gap next time), or you can get in resistance about it and have guilt, "shoulds,"  and probably some blame to spice up the mix.

I'd love to hear about your practice for minding the gap and how, when you don't, you care for those divots.