Perhaps you’ve experienced a deep sense of presence while walking alone in nature or in silent meditation—but is it possible to bring this quality of relaxed and open acceptance into our relationships? In this excerpt from his new audio retreat, Eckhart Tolle discusses the challenge of truly meeting another human being—and how to make that connection through the art of presence.

All relationships can be pleasurable when we know how to generate happiness, regardless of what others say and do. Love and prosperity are self-generated, because we are love and prosperity. Because we are love, we do not and cannot get love from anyone, but when we are around people who like us, it is easier to be ourselves (which is love).

Since the holidays are coming up, I thought this might be a good time to talk about our families.  We all know that they affect us.  But, sometimes, we don't realize how much. 

We are all familiar with the ideal of love at first sight, getting married and living happily ever after, until death do us part. At some level we all wish it were true, and maybe even believe it. Recall the movie Jerry Maguire when Tom Cruise says to Renee Zellwegger, “you complete me” – this sums up our culture’s fascination with love and its ability to cure all ills. Faced with this lofty idealism, daily life tosses our marriages onto the ragged shores of reality.

What most of us want— more than anything — is Love. More than money, possessions, fame, and fortune...we want Love. We want Love because, in the depths of our soul, we know that Love is the only thing that can make us happy. Every path we take to find happiness is really a search for Love.