Your ego is essential

Don’t be afraid of your ego

The ego is something we can’t see. But, even though we can’t see it, we can observe it in our own lives every day. Our fears, awareness of self, concerns about what the future holds, and what other people are getting are all evidence of our egos at work. We are defensive, afraid to apologize, and afraid to speak up because of our egos. That doesn’t mean the ego is bad. It’s not. It’s kind of like the Universe’s Dark Energy and Dark Matter. The ego is there. It can’t not be there if you’re a human. We see it’s footprints throughout human lives. All too often, though, we see something defensive in the ego. Again, it’s simply human.

So, how can we work with the ego in a world that is ego-driven? Mindfulness offers a way to see the ego for what it is. It involves turning to our breath, focusing on letting go, recognizing intentional opportunities of noticing the way we like and don’t like, eating food more slowly and less obsessively, and allowing the experience of being truly present with our experiences. These are just examples of a nearly endless tapestry of potential ego signals.

Even though the ego can’t be seen, we can learn to see it’s footprinnts in the impacts we have on the people we love and those we wish to serve. Noticing these aspects of our lives starts us on a beautiful pathway of meaning. By taking stock of our lives multiple times a day, seeing ourselves as truly as we can, we make the ego line up more closely with what we might want it to be.