No! There is no need to kill your ego. Your ego is a perfectly natural development, caused if you will, by your ongoing mind-body responses to your environment(s) and experiences[1].
Well then, you might be thinking, if it’s perfectly natural, my ego can stay exactly as it is thank you! Now, if you are perfectly content and untroubled by any seeming imperfections or dysfunction, then indeed, there is no need to change. The thing is though, life is always changing and we need to be well positioned to respond effectively. This requires our ego to be set aside.
Yet, almost all of us, have at least one issue that prevents us from living an optimal carefree life of freedom, love and adventure. It is our fate as humans, yet, much more than that, it is our adventure, as we learn to transcend our issues and limitations. If we look around at nature and ourselves, isn’t that what life is all about? In transcending our limitations or challenges, we are generally improving quality of life for ourselves and others – just as our ancestors before us. So, look positively upon your issues and challenges. This is especially true if you had a troubled childhood, perhaps witnessing or experiencing some form of abuse.
Rather than spending time in self-pity and resentment, while treating unwelcome experiences as an excuse for your current life and behavior, let your experiences make you stronger. Your story then changes from a victim of circumstance to a victor who has triumphed over adversity. Break the cycle and stop the poison from contaminating the quality of your life, those around you and, if you have children, future generations.
If you’re like 99% of people on this planet there will be some sub-optimal things, that if out of the way, would make you feel more vital and joyous. Can you identify what these are and make changes?
On the journey to true self, you will start to drop old ego-patterns and adopt new ones. As your development continues in the right fashion, the ego will lose its heaviness. Learning self-awareness, self-love and acceptance is part of that. As we live our lives from cradle to grave, all of us will have to embrace our humanity, (including some ego-driven behavior and suffering), as well as our divinity. And, this has been true, even of the wisest souls, including Jesus and Buddha.
Source: Peak Performance!! Awaken & Achieve available on Amazon.
In Part 4 of this series we will start to look at ways to relate with our ego effectively.
[1] Many believe that the ego is an evolutionary mechanism that will give way to other formations, just as our brain has developed from the old limbic structure to the neo-cortex. Being “awake,” might one day be the norm – until the next development of the human species.