Ask yourself: "When was the last time you compared yourself to another person, became fixated on attaining material objects or wealth, or felt your defensiveness sneak in when someone shared an opposing view?"
Those are just a few examples I have personally experienced with my ego. I went through three stages. First, not knowing my ego existed (ignorance). Second, becoming aware of my ego and despising it (denial). And finally, coming to realize that there is a way to create balance between the ego and my higher Self (integration). It all starts with awareness.
In my awareness, I began pausing and asking myself “why”? Why was I reacting in that way? Why was I making that decision? Why was I reaching towards a material item for fulfillment? Why was I stuck in the same patterns, even though I knew they weren’t serving me? The questions continued…and continued. It became overwhelming to realize that my life had been unconsciously and solely directed by my ego. But then, I was given the opportunity to dissolve parts of it and create a new reality.
As Eckhart Tolle explains…
“The ego isn't wrong; it's just unconscious. When you observe the ego in yourself, you are beginning to go beyond it. Don't take the ego too seriously. When you detect egoic behavior in yourself, smile. At times you may even laugh. How could humanity have been taken in by this for so long? Above all, know that the ego isn't personal. It isn't who you are. If you consider the ego to be your personal problem, that's just more ego.” - Eckhart Tolle
We all have an ego, but we also have the opportunity to dissolve parts of it and tap into our higher Self. Our higher Self allows us to move from living in the past/future to the present moment, to change from reactivity and anger to non-reactive and love, from judgment to acceptance.
“When you contact the Higher Self, the source of power within, you tap into a reservoir of infinite power.” - Deepak Chopra
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