There are moments in life when everything seems to unravel. For me, it was a season marked by loss - a marriage, a business, a best friend, and my mother, all in a relatively short span of time. It felt as if the foundation of my world had crumbled.
In the middle of that darkness, I stumbled upon a book that changed everything: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle.
It didn’t magically fix my problems. Instead, it taught me something far more powerful: to accept what is, to let go of what was, and to discover the peace and joy available in this very moment.
Two of Tolle’s lessons in particular have stayed with me:
“Letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.”
“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.”
At first, those words were hard to swallow. Why would I need loss, grief, or setbacks? But over time, I learned what Tolle was really pointing to: that every moment - good or bad - is part of our growth. It’s an invitation to rise above ego, fear, and control, and to experience life with openness and presence.
What This Means for Promotional ProfessionalsOur industry moves at a dizzying pace. Deadlines change. Supply chains hiccup. A client you thought was loyal goes in a different direction. A project you poured your heart into doesn’t land the way you hoped.
It’s easy to get caught up in defending, blaming, or dwelling on what went wrong. But here’s what A New Earth reminds us:
Letting go creates space for creativity and solutions. Instead of clinging to frustration when a supplier misses a deadline, pause, breathe, and look for the next
best step. Sometimes the detour leads to better outcomes.
Every experience has something to teach you. Lost a big account? Maybe it’s the push to diversify your client base or rethink your approach.
You are not your circumstances. Your worth isn’t tied to the success of a single project or sale. The power of presence - showing up fully for the moment you’re in - transforms both your work and your relationships.
Joy is available now. Not when you hit your sales goal. Not when the economy stabilizes. Right now, in the middle of the chaos, there is always something to be grateful for.
Choosing Not to SufferTolle writes about the difference between pain and suffering. Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. Suffering comes when we resist what is, replaying it in our minds, wishing things were different.
As professionals, we can choose to meet challenges with curiosity instead of resistance. We can let go of the need to control every outcome. We can approach each day as an opportunity - not a battle.
That shift doesn’t just help us enjoy our work more. It helps us bring a sense of calm confidence to our clients, teams, and families.
Your Pursuit of PurposeAs you go about your day - making calls, fulfilling orders, creating campaigns - remember this: You have the power to rise above the noise, to let go of what doesn’t serve you, and to experience the joy of simply being present.
That’s where real purpose begins.
Paul Kiewiet MAS+ is an industry speaker, writer, consultant and coach. Kiewiet was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame and the MiPPA Hall of Fame. He served as Chairman of PPAI in 2007. A former distributor, he founded Promotion Concepts, Inc in 1982 and worked with some of America’s most valuable brands including Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, and Whirlpool.