Our Ego

Any time there is a struggle between doing what is actually right and doing what seems right, then your ego is interfering with your decision.

Darren L Johnson

The ego is a collection of definitions and concepts that have been created through our life experience. These have been formed by life experiences and we therefore identify ourselves through these. This can get in the way of our inner peace, since we tend to protect and defend these beliefs at all cost. We do this because we identify with them. We believe that they are what make us who we are and anyone that threatens them, either by challenging or judging them, becomes our enemy. Our ego often chooses to be right instead of at peace.

The ego is the collection of all our beliefs. Unfortunately, it is always on the lookout for the slightest evidence of wrongdoing, in others or in ourselves. For example, we can view ourselves as being ugly or pretty. We can view life as being hard or awesome. We can view others as mean or loving.

Can we recognize our ego when it is directing our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions? This practice can be hard at times, but with each piece of the ego we recognize, we raise our consciousness and therefore our joy and power.

The awakening of consciousness is realizing that we have choices. We don’t have to let situations affect us in a negative way. Therefore we must recognize that it is only the ego inside us, our old patterns and habits that cause us to feel negative. We certainly have the choice to behave in a different way.

How can we overcome our ego? This means dropping those beliefs that seem to hold us to our habits and patterns and obstruct our vision to unlimited possibilities. Dropping it means opening ourselves to life completely, without restricting ourselves to our personal experiences. It means opening our mind to the point that we can see that we are all one, despite our differences. It means embracing these differences, and seeing that what we think is different, in fact, is not. Dropping the ego does not mean condemning it. It means understanding it.

The thought comes in, and goes out. Plain and simple. Be it a good thought, bad thought, it doesn’t matter.

 By not reacting to the thought and letting it float past our consciousness, there is nothing negative that comes from it. It comes in; we reap the benefit, and let it go out. For example, thoughts of past pain that come into our head are trying to protect us from similar pain happening in the present or future. It is the way we handle these thoughts that make them painful or not. If we let the memory float past our consciousness, it might remind us for a brief moment of a mistake we made and prevent us from making the same mistake again. That’s fine; it has served its purpose, and hasn’t caused us any pain.

Here are some ways we can overcome the hold our ego has on us. There are also many more.

 Let go of our need to be always right.

 Let go of our need to have more.

 Practice forgiveness.

 Serve others.

 Find our purpose.

 Practice gratitude, be grateful.

 Stop being offended.

Without our ego, we want nothing. There are no conditions to our love. Nothing can make us upset, and stop us loving. There is nothing to lose. Love just is. Peace just is. Joy just is.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”.

 Marianne Williamson, A Return To Love.