The Ego: Friend or Foe?

The other day I had an epiphany that prompted me to delete one of my first posts. It stated something like:  ‘get rid of your ego; nurture your soul instead.’
I decided against scrapping it to further illustrate my growth…

From the moment I realized that my ego was too dominant— I forged a quest to annihilate this “false self.” The notion of an “ego” seemed toxic to me. I was jaded. I’d seen people act truly evil when their ego ran the show. Not to mention, it gave rise to my defense mechanisms, so I thought: f*ck it.

Then— it hit me like a truck. Many articles, videos and talks later.

The ego is necessary.

We just spiral downward when we’re solely guided by our ego and in turn, we outcast our soul, ignore our spirit; and thus, imprison our “true self.”

We need to be aware of our sense of self (ego), our consciousness (soul) and the spirit within us all (God/”the source”) in order to be in alignment and experience harmony.

When our “stream of thinking” calls the shots, our “stream of consciousness” runs dry. We also checkout of the present,  resisting love and unity. The world seems dark, lonely and we grow colder.

Saying “kill the ego” is like saying “get rid of your sense of self.”

Our ego allows us to forge our own path. To set boundaries. To be “unique.”
But– it dwells on the past and worries about the future.

Our stream of consciousness (often associated with our “heart”) is our awareness of what is. Not how our thoughts speculate it might be. In the present moment, we can experience peace and connection to humanity. We also tap into our Inner G; allowing us to embrace and exude the light and tenderness we were all born with.

The Role of Emotions

Our emotions are typically signals from our subconscious mind.
They can shed light on what our souls yearn for.

We interpret the world by extracting meaning, and emotions give meaning to our lives. When we experience certain emotions and even physical sensations, our subconscious mind (associated with our body) is trying to give us some insight about our current beliefs and interpretations.

Our emotions are deeply affected by our thinking patterns. What we think about most often, becomes engrained in our subconscious and creates “default” approaches, based on our “core beliefs.”

Our ego is entirely a manifestation of our thoughts. It strives to make us feel “safe,” so it’s responsible for triggering fear, and other negative emotions.  After all, the ego’s main objective is to survive.

It’s also the culprit behind negative self-talk and suppressing our pain. When we suppress pain instead of dealing with it, it leaves an imprint in our subconscious. Then every time something triggers that SAME pain, our ego swoops in to “protect us,” but our deep-rooted (subconscious) beliefs are already tainted. These “self-limiting” beliefs put our joy and livelihood in jeopardy.

The Upside

The ego, our thinking mind, is a tool.
A resource to be called upon, not governed by.

We need to cultivate true confidence in our “self” just as much as we need to be connected to all that is. We have to work to develop self-awareness, in order to feel self-worth, to build self-esteem, to experience self-love.
As well as, compassion for humanity, in order to feel whole and fulfilled.

When we’re able to put our ego at bay by questioning our “core beliefs” and consciously letting our guard down when our ego is trying to steal the show.
By experiencing and demonstrating vulnerability, we have an opportunity to bask in bliss.

Everyone wants to be happy. Thing is, happiness is a choice we consciously make in the present. The space where are soul calls the shots.

Accept the Challenge

Begin to observe your stream of thinking, by engaging with your stream of consciousness.
When we take the place of an “observer,” we step outside of our ego’s box (of thought) and put ourselves in a position to be the BOSS.
When you’re the boss, you don’t let your ego take you where IT wants to go.
You call on it.

When you are the observer, this is “the real” YOU. Who you really are.
You can then befriend your ego, so it’s not your perpetual foe.

If you’re interested in sources to go a little more in depth, let me know and I’ll add some links within this piece 🙂