Overcoming the Ego
Ego
12/21/2022
"Prepare an essay about the ego" said my spiritual teacher about 25 years ago. When I sat down with the pen in my hand nothing came to my mind. I was completely ignorant of the existence of such a thing, let alone that it would be part of myself.
With years of self-reflection, meditation, and reading of various spiritual literature (for example "A Course in Miracles") I gradually got a grip on this concept. I call it "concept" because it is the making of my mind. It is a construct of my individualized mind separated from the Universal Mind, and ultimately from the Creator's Mind.
Men are particularly susceptible to acquiring and maintaining the ego. By doing so we put ourselves in the position of God, we are essentially "Edging God Out". It manifests itself by pretending we are right, and others are wrong. We feel to be somehow special, we seek approval from our peers or from people we adore. The latter can be regarded as matching the wrong source.
Often ego is connected with the feeling of lack in some way. This shows as excessive competition with the father, colleagues, and even with the own mate about status, admiration, and earthly accomplishments. We become "egoistic" because we are separated from the original Source.
Now, competition is good when it is playful and helps to bring forth the best of our talent and capabilities, with compassion. However, it can be highly destructive when it is about acquiring power (over others) and recognition.
The ego can also express itself as a lack of confidence or self-esteem. It is important to observe our thoughts from the outside viewer's perspective. After all, we are NOT our thoughts! It is entertaining to watch the own mind when it turns on the attack or the self-destructive mode, triggered usually by a specific person or event. After a while with exercise, we become good at even anticipating the ego's response by taking the command as a self-conscious being and saying: stop!
When we were born into this world we got a body with a slowly evolving mind as a vehicle for learning lessons that are far more effective than without a body. We chose those lessons (for some it is sickness, for others a failed marriage, poverty, or loneliness) as a soul because they are exactly what we need to advance spiritually. It is highly counterproductive to see ourselves as a victim and to engage the ego as a shield to overcome these experiences. Instead, I could ask myself what is the Universe trying to teach me here? Being thankful opens the possibility for change because we are then receptive to guidance and healing.
When we die we continue our journey in the spiritual world. We are stripped of our belongings and confined minds, so why not purify the lower self as much as possible while we live?
It is important to acknowledge the gifts God gave us when we feel miserable, weak, or abandoned because it opens the possibility to overcome obstacles that hold us back from aspiring for a higher level of consciousness. Once we are successful in one part of our life we should not credit ourselves because we thereby feed our ego with that accomplishment, rather we should credit where it belongs to, namely God.
We should always strive to live in a state of Grace - that is - with God's will. Taking the focus off ourselves and placing it where it should be: towards people around us needing assistance or support and ultimately following God's will, not our own.
The winter solstice resembles the end of a death cycle and it is a great time to let go of compulsive behavior and ego thinking. The true and Universal Mind was incarnated as Jesus Christ, our true teacher. He taught us to trust our hearts and be open to all possibilities of growth, healing, and being of service to others in humbleness. We should pursue the I AM Consciousness with our thoughts and actions. I am one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Heaven on Earth is a state of mind.
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