The story of NOW Watch

Almost a decade ago, I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

It changed the way I looked at life.

For the first time, I clearly recognized how much of my life was taking place inside my mind. I was constantly returning to the past and waiting for some future moment.

When I achieve this, fix that or reach the next stage, then life will really begin.

But life never happens in the future. Whenever life is actually happening, it is happening now.

I began to see that I could step back from the constant stream of thoughts and observe it, instead of automatically following every thought wherever it wanted to take me.

That distance created a sense of freedom.

The thoughts did not disappear. Life did not suddenly become perfect. But I understood that I was not required to become completely absorbed in everything my mind produced.

I could return to what was actually happening around me.

I could return to now.

Many of us spend much of our lives waiting for a future moment to bring us peace or fulfilment. We tell ourselves that we will be happy when something changes, when a problem is solved or when we finally reach the next goal.

There is nothing wrong with making plans or working towards something. The problem is that we are rarely fully here and now. Over time, we train our minds to keep returning to the past or reaching towards the future. It becomes a deeply rooted habit that cannot be changed by a single thought.

We can become so focused on arriving somewhere else that we miss the life taking place in front of us.

My journey with NOW Watch

I decided I wanted to share the idea with other people.

I also wanted to make it part of my own everyday life. Not something I would think about occasionally after work, but something I could explore, discuss and practise throughout the day.

That was the beginning of my journey with NOW Watch.

Some NOW Watches do not tell the time at all. They simply say NOW. Others show the time while keeping NOW at the centre.

Both carry the same message.

Time is useful, but life is always now.

It is a reminder, not a magic solution

A NOW Watch will not automatically make someone present. No object can do that work for us.

For me, the watch is a reminder of that work.

When I look at my wrist and see NOW, it gives me an opportunity to pause. I can notice my thoughts, take a conscious breath and reconnect with what is happening at this moment.

The watch is also a personal statement. It represents something I believe in and want to keep close to me. This is why I no longer want to wear a conventional watch. NOW Watch means something different to me.

Nearly ten years of exploring NOW

Over the years, NOW Watch has travelled to people around the world.

I have written articles, created small presence exercises and even made a simple online game. I have spoken with customers from many countries about what NOW means to them.

I am still learning too.

After The Power of Now, I continued reading and exploring different perspectives on awareness, presence and the mind. One book I found particularly accessible was The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer.

This subject has become much more than a business interest for me. It is something I continue to explore in my own life.

More than a watch

Some people buy NOW Watch because it makes them smile. Some see it as a conversation starter or an unusual gift. Others connect immediately with its deeper meaning.

All of those reasons are welcome.

Sometimes a playful object can open the door to a profound idea.

My hope is simply to plant a small seed. Perhaps someone looks at the word NOW and pauses for a second, notices their breath or recognizes that their mind has carried them far away from the present.

Then they return to now.

NOW Watch is a watch with meaning, a gift with meaning and, for some of us, a quiet reminder of a different way to live.

Have a good NOW,

Greg
Founder of NOW Watch