Ego

“It is the nature of the ego to take, and the nature of the spirit to share.” - Proverb

The common misconception is that only men have ego's, but we all have an ego whether we like it or not. What is your ego really? I believe that those of you who read this and are offended by it will only be offended because deep within you, below your layers of ego, you know it is true. (this is an extremely sensitive subject and there have been hundreds of books written about it, I am just scratching the surface here)

Firstly let me tell you what your ego isn't. Your ego isn't you! It's a part of you that tries to prevent the real you from expressing yourself. I recently listened to an audio CD by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Power of Intention. Below are what he believes the ego wants us to believe:

1. I am what I have, my possessions define me.
2. I am what I do, my achievements define me.
3. I am what others think of me, my reputation defines me.
4. I am separate from everyone, my body defines me as alone.
5. I am separate from all that is missing in my life, my life space is disconnected from my desires.
6. I am separate from God, my life depends on God's assessment of my worthiness.

Think about it really carefully, when you leave this planet, what do you take with you? What do you leave behind? How will you be remembered? You won't be remembered for all you possessions or achievements, you'll be remembered as a person, your character, your spirit. And to be really blunt, who cares what you are remembered for. You are no longer here.

This is where your ego intervenes, most of us live our lives trying to impress and "keep up with the Jone's" instead of just enjoying our limited time here on earth.

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting the best for yourself and your loved ones. I believe every human being deserves the best of everything. But don't sacrifice your life in pursuit of all these things. Never forget to stay in touch with the real you.

"We are not human beings here for a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings here for a human experience." - Dannion Brinkley

"The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, person and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you."
- Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

So how do we shed these layers of ego? There are 4 stages;

1. Discipline
2. Wisdom
3. Love
4. Surrender (this is where the body and mind no longer run the show)

I have made it as far as stage 3, but frequently slip back into stage 2 and even stage 1. Shedding your ego is quite tricky in this day and age, especially when it has been part of your life for so long. I will continue on my journey and I can't wait to reach the stage of surrender.

I will share more with you about the different stages in future articles.

“Such is the nature of the human ego; it resents its betters and gloats at its lessers.” - Tom Smith

"The people we judge and hate in life are in fact reflections of our disowned selves."
- Dr Hal Stone.