I love reading and learning about all aspects of spirituality. One of the big concepts that is up for frequent debate in spritual circles is the nature and existence of the “Ego.” I recently attended a workshop given by a very well-known author who has much insight into the spiritual world. I really enjoyed taking this workshop and I learned so much that day about tapping into the messages we get from Spirit. During the workshop, the speaker made a statement that “the Ego is all Fear.” Something about that statement didn’t sit well with me and I kept turning it over and over in my mind.
When a person beings to embark on a spiritual path, there is so much to learn. One of the most common teachings is that the Ego is bad; it is at worst to be avoided and at best to be transcended. Religious teachings give advice on how to rid yourself of the Ego by continuous prayers, denial of bodily desires such as food and sex, and practicing deep extended meditations. Becoming “egoless” is placed on a pedestal as some high exalted state of being that only very evolved masters can attain.
That is all a bunch of B.S. The Ego is a GIFT. Yes, there I said it, probably to your chagrin. It is my truth and here is why I feel this way. The Ego or personality self is a construct. A simpler way to see it is as a screen. Remember that. . . a SCREEN. It is a framework for you to perceive reality through. Reality or “the things that happen” simply are. Your Ego then filters that reality through its screen so that you experience reality in a specific way. Everyone has a unique Ego or screen with its own way of filtering reality.
Some people have a screen that views reality from a position of being a victim. So when something happens to them, their experience is that of being a victim. Some people have a screen that views reality from the position of entitlement. So when something happens they react as a person who is entitled to behave in certain ways. This is why two people can have the exact same thing happen to them, but have completely different ways of interpreting them. Because they have different SCREENS. Get it?
Now on to why your Ego is truly a gift. . .
When your soul comes to Earth, it chooses to have certain experiences of the nature of reality, to have certain lessons and opportunities for growth depending on its goals. The Ego is what draws those lessons and opportunities to you. If we didn’t have an Ego at all, there would be nothing to learn and no different perspectives to have. The Ego is what allows us to have our own unique experiences and our unique chances to learn.
Once you stop denying aspects of your Ego and begin accepting them (I know it’s a shocking idea) and loving them (even more shocking), your true growth process begins.
The Ego can be dark, yes it is true. But out of the darkness comes the light. Going within, to explore the darker aspects of your personality and accepting that they exist is the first step toward integrating your ego into your life. Without learning about your Ego and making friends with it, your growth as a spiritual being is restricted. The Ego is meant to be a teacher and its lessons are tailored specifically for your soul development.
So, love your Ego. Stop fighting with it, the Ego is a part of who you are. Learn from it, laugh at it, and heal the areas of it that have damage. Clearing your screen or Ego of its false beliefs is one of the most exhilarating and freeing things you can do. But first you have to SEE it and OWN it. And ultimately, this is what life is all about.
Aloha my friends!
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