Can we outwit it? Can we oust it? Can we overcome it?
At times, we may have been defeated by it. But we can work on it and be prepared the next time it manifests again and uses the same tactic on us.
How are we dealing with our ego?
There’s no doubt about the ill effects ego brings. It affects ourselves and the people around us, like our friends and our colleagues. It’s about time that we need to be aware of it and how we can best handle it. And what’s the ultimate goal for this? It’s to think less of ourselves. It’s to focus more on accomplishing the world-changing work we need to do.
As I reflected on this, I thought of the times that I fell into it. I wish I knew about this before. But learning this now, I know what to keep watch and what to do with it. It’s hard at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. And it’s not too late. We can still change for the better when we know how to respond to its attacks.
But how do we know when the ego attacks? Let’s look at these situations:
When we want to achieve great things, how do we go with it?
Do we end up until the chatter? Or are we doing something to produce our intended outcome and progressing every single day?
Are we willing to take the grunt work? Do we do this out of our entitlement? Or out of our humility?
When reality strikes, what do we do?
Do we continue to live in our fiction? Or do we live clearly and presently to take action and plan moving forward?
When we receive critical feedback, how do we take it?
Do we insist that the criticism is wrong? Or are we accepting it and making it a stepping stone for improvement?
When others treat us poorly, how do we see it?
Do we see it as the act degrading us? Or the act degrading them?
When we show others our progress, what’s our motivation behind it?
Is it for validation? Or is it for inspiring them in their progress?
No arrogance in this, right? We tell the story as is?
When we’ve achieved the success we wanted, how do we handle it?
Do we rest on our laurels? Or do we focus on the needed work?
Do we stick to what we know? Or do we continue to work and develop ourselves for a lifetime even if we’ve achieved our milestones?
When we see others’ success, how do we respond to it?
Do we compare it to ours and make an effort to get what they have? Or do we become genuinely happy for their success and focus on making the best version of ourselves?
When it comes to our work dynamics, how do we deal with them?
Do we value the people we work with truly? Are we willing to be open to whatever ideas they have? Do we trust them to do their very best at work?
When uncontrollable situations come, are we taking action to manage them well?
It’d be better that way. Because if entitlement and paranoia come into the picture, it’s going to be a big disaster.
When it comes to viewing life as a whole, what is our mindset?
Is it the world revolving around us? Or is it us having an opportunity to contribute to a bigger picture?
Do we emphasize much of the higher positions we get? Or do we allow ourselves to be grounded?
When it comes to failure, how do we cope up with it?
Do we treat the moment like dead air? Or do we learn to understand what led to the moment, what went wrong, and why? Do we accept it and push through it to succeed again?
When we’re unappreciated because of the efforts we made, how are we with it?
Do we seek that they need to be recognized? Or are we cool with it, knowing that they’re already sufficient?
When faced with the mistakes we know we committed, what’s our answer to them?
Do we insist on denying? Or do we fully accept the truth about them? Do we make efforts to come out better?
When an attack or a slight or something we don’t like comes, what’s our response?
Do we choose to be busy getting revenge? Or do we turn the other cheek?
With these situations, we get an understanding of what the ego is and what it isn’t. When we get to see the truth about ourselves, what happens next is up to us. If we still want to pursue the good, then we take serious action to combat the ego.
I can say from experience that living your life with your ego is the hardest thing you can bear. You can only feel its gravity when you realize it. It’s hard to deal with the regrets and disappointments reaped from our actions. You not only hurt the people around you, but you also see yourself not going anywhere at all. And it’s a heavy one to bear.
Harsh situations do play a factor in us. It’s easy to blame other people for these and not take responsibility. But we can create what happens next.
So how do we see these harsh situations?
Do they make us miserable? Or do they help us grow and become stronger?
If we don’t choose our ego, then we can choose to respond in a way that we can display real strength.
The path is hard. But then, life is hard. So we need to choose which hard we work with to make the most out of life. It’s an endless battle, but it’s rewarding when we know that we can carry on life’s challenges with peace, poise, and purpose. It’s when we can overcome our dark light where we can shine brightly.
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