Letting go of Ego

I can honestly say that, in my experience, letting go of my ego has been very difficult. It's constantly there, in the back of my mind, hiding in a shadow; lurking... like a stalker. Creeper. Believe it or not, this image actually helps me lessen it. I associate lurkers and stalkers with weird people who live on the outside of society and are afraid of getting caught. No bravery there, no strength either. I find I'm not afraid of people who slink in the shadows, never coming to the light, so I'm not afraid of my ego either. That doesn't mean we don't have epic battles in my head. Oh we really do. Even now, after all I've done and all I believe, the ego is still there whispering. For some reason, the last few days have been particularly bad with it. So, I'm going to grab this opportunity to tell you how I deal with it and how I'm letting it go piece by bloody piece.

The first thing is always to identify what is your actual thought and what is ego. Ego will tell you that you can't do it. It's all the doubt and fear that hold you back. By practicing mindfulness and stillness, we get a better understanding of the ego's thoughts and that they really aren't ours. We also get a better understanding of what would happen if we did or did not listen to the ego. Try it some time. If you want a new job and you're thinking of applying somewhere else, but you're caught up in the "problems" of why you can go for it, then take a breathe. Be mindful of it. Watch your thoughts happening from an outside, non-judgmental perspective. Are your reasons for not going after the job you want valid, or are they fear based? If they're fear based, they're ego. Let them go because they don't serve you. Focus on what is valid and rooted in knowledge, light, and love. Those are the thoughts that serve you.

There are several schools of thought on how to fully tame and let go the ego. There's two that have worked for me. The first is to wrap it in God's light and bring it to God. The second, and my personal favorite, is to tell it to sit down and shut the F up! I picture it like that one drunk girl at the party who's stumbling around, being really annoying, and getting everyone angry. You either want to send her home in a taxi or tell her to sit down and shut up. I chose to take control of my ego. I ignore it and also point out to myself how ridiculous (and often illogical) the whole thing is. Once I have it quiet and I don't hear it so loud or so insistent, I then wrap it in light and send it to God. This has given me the biggest break I've ever had from my ego. That doesn't mean that it doesn't sneak back up on me sometimes, but it doesn't feel like a devil on my back anymore either.

The best thing you can do is remind yourself that you have control. I know sometimes it feels hopeless and like this huge daunting task. Trust though. Trust in God and trust in yourself. You have all the tools you need already inside of you.

In light and love:
~A