Ahhhh...the Ego. Most people think the ego is all about oneself. That's only partially true. What is the ego, exactly? What does the ego represent? Is self love a part of the ego? At some point in your spiritual journey, these questions and many more may come to mind. Seeking answers to the questions in your mind, is the beginning of wisdom!
The ego is multi-faceted! People tend to over complicate what the ego is. In reality, the ego is simply: what we think we are. Also, known as "I am" and also equally known as the "false identity". According to the works of Delores Cannon, we are immortal spiritual beings, having a temporary human experience. The human experiences on the earthly realm, are protected by the idea of what we think we are, which is the ego. Astronauts use space suits for space exploration. Scuba divers use scuba suits for underwater exploration. The same could be said for the ego, the ego could be likened to an earth "suit" for humans.
Per yogi philosophy, human beings have 3 bodies: the physical body, the astral body, and the spiritual body, commonly known as the soul. The Ego is attached to the physical body. For example, when introducing yourself to someone you've just met, Do you introduce yourself as, "Hi! I'm an accountant" or "Hello, I fly planes"? All of that is part of the ego. The ego is what defines you. The ego states that, "I am the amount of money I have in my bank account, "I am the brand name clothes I wear", I am my six pack, and lastly, "I am my ass". Just as, the shoes doesn't make the man...neither does the ego.
The ego is also about how you observe and interact with the world, that shit is not always a bad thing! The ego isn't something necessarily broken down into "good or bad", it just has to be kept in balance. Balance is everything! We've all come across those with huge ego issues. These would be the people in your life that are so stubborn and so ego driven, that they would rather buy a gift for you, than apologize!
Then, there are those who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Those that seek to destroy their ego. However, it's good to be reminded that the ego is needed to do basic things in life and exist in this world. Without any ego, we'd be considered "babies". Babies are unable to distinguish between themselves and the rest of the world. Think about it, a baby will piss and shit anywhere! A baby has no ego. In hood terms, a baby doesn't know enough about itself to GAF. On the contrary, as an adult, the ego allows us to learn about earth and certain lessons in life. There are some that look at the ego as being a "bad thing", and consciously make a decision to undergo an ego death. We have been incarnated here on earth to have a human experience. To learn certain lessons. We are here to interact with the world, not disassociate with it completely.
When the ego is put to death, it defeats the purpose of why you are here. You're missing out on the things you came to earth to learn. Not to mention, those that totally get rid of their egos, make it very difficult for others to relate to them. They, FR come off as just plain ol' weird. They also miss out on a lot of the things life has to offer. The ego starts to develop around the age of seven. During that time, when there is no sense of "I", a child will be all over the place, not focusing on any one thing. The ego is very necessary to live here on earth. Wayne Dryer believes the ego to be our "Pain Body". The pain body consists of all your fears, pain, judgements, regrets, depression, anxiety etc. He coined the acronym EGO, which stands for: (E)dging (G)od (O)ut.
When there is a sense of "I"..."I am my what happened in my past", "I am better than people", "I am what I own", "I am what I believe"..."me, me, me", When thinking in this way, YOU are taking up more space and edging God out, the universe out and other people out! Most of our insecurities are ego based. The ego understands that it's only temporary, and after two or three generations, it won't be remembered anymore, therefore, it strives to leave it's "mark on the world". Your ego will tell you that there should be a statue built in honor of YOU...that your name should be on the biggest library in your state and that you deserve to be treated like a King or Queen any day, all day! All while your ego has you dishing out shit to others!
The Ego can be a consuming fire! Which is why balance is needed. The ego wants it's legacy to live on and it wants to live forever. The beginning of our lives (as babies) and the end of our lives (as an elderly person), are very similar. Both stages of life because they have less ego and less importance on what they have, who they are and what they do. It would be a horrible thing to get to the end of one's life, just to realize it was all based in ego.
Shifting your ego is key, and it's a gradual process. If possible, don't rush it! If you rush the process, you will encounter resistance. And as we know, resistance to anything, makes "it" all the more harder. There are several ways in which the ego can be shifted, an they are: by meditating, keeping a journal and being totally honest with yourself. Honesty is the foundation of getting your ego in check! Your ego will hype TF outta you! Again, balance is very important!
Once you are honest and learn to reduce the importance of yourself, you will start to become a lot happier. Taking the ego out of situations can reduce the stress of situations like a MF! The ego lives in duality, meaning, it has to be above someone else or below someone else. Every time you compare yourself to someone, that's your ego! Dead that shit immediately yo! Below are a few characteristics of the ego. These characteristics will help you to recognize when yours or someone else's ego is on fleek.
Reliving the suffering, regret, shame or guilt of the past is a signal that you are living in the unawareness through your ego. However, on the opposite side of the spectrum, if you're living in the future and start to feel worry, fear, anxiety or stress, allow that to be a signal that you are living in the unawareness through your ego. The ego is NOT the enemy. On the contrary, the ego can be the tool used to show us those parts of ourselves that need to be healed and reconciled. Shadow work may be needed.
If you're still struggling with trauma from your past, that's the EGO keeping it going! The ego is trying to make you aware that you need to go back and heal the trauma from your past. Once the past trauma is dealt with and reconciled, that energy is then brought from the past and integrated into the present moment. When this happens, the ego can no longer live in that unaware state. Now, you are AWARE of what the problem is.
In actuality, the universe gave us an ego, to become more AWARE of ourselves. Once you are more aware of self, you then become aware of the power you have to heal yourself! This is what our ancestors and ancients have always strived to teach us! To become more aware of SELF. SELF is Spirit...the real you!
Ego wanted you to believe that you are this finite thing attached to a body. SELF is Spirit, and this is why you do not have to fear death! Because that which dies, isn't the REAL part of you! Part of us will never die! And that is or Spirit! It's omnipresent and will always exist...energy never dies, it only transforms. The ego iduces suffering, not in a bad way, but as a way to increase awareness of itself.
Characteristics of the Ego
The ego only exist in the negative polarity because you are unaware of it.
The ego is rooted in survival. Stress, anxiety and fear are all survival techniques of the ego. The KEY, is to live in the MOMENT. To be present. This is the only place the ego CANNOT live. It can only live in the past or the future, not the present moment. If ever your ego is all over the place, just take a moment and BREATHE. Doing so will bring you back to the present moment, and IN the present moment, the ego has nowhere to go! This is where you will feel peace. Remember, BREATH is LIFE!
Using the Ego as a Tool
When you are having lower energies and lower vibrations, ask yourself: what is this situation trying to show me or teach me.
Ask yourself, If you could go back, what would you do differently?
Asking these questions to yourself, helps to increase your awareness! And as you increase your awareness, the negative part of the ego, can't run shit when it comes to you! :)
Love and Light
~ Mahogany
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