Hello Dear Ones, 

 

The ego has become a fascinating topic with my-Self.  Yes, me and my ego go way back, like two, good friends shooting the breeze.  Not all people feel the same way, in fact it’s interesting how talking about our egos can initiate very ego-centric responses. 

Years ago when I reconnected with an old college friend of mine, we chatted about our school days and then shifted into our current life dramas.  I remember wanting to add a little humor with an ego remark…all light-hearted of course…and then our conversation went sour fast.  The very word ego shut him down, and he withdrew from any further conversation.  He stood up, raised his voice, and expressed his disbelief that I would insult him in such a way…

…and yet, I could joke about egos with another friend of mine where he would take it further, almost caressing his ego and all the colors it projected.  

People are funny.  Egos are funny.  Why take them too seriously?

Almost two decades later and I still hear discussions throughout my communities about ‘releasing the ego,’ ‘letting go of the ego,’ or ‘getting rid of your ego.’ They perceive the ego as an enemy; a cancerous state of being. 

There comes a point when you have to realize what this is saying…

First, we have to recognize that if you are a human being, you will have an ego.  That’s just a given.

Two, in order to be a human being, the ego is necessary to experience your-Self as one individual.  Ego=individuality.

Three, if your ego did not exist, you would relinquish your attachment to your body and instead, meld into the ethers of loving frequencies without a care in the world or universe.  No ego=unity with source.

How do I know this?  My ego told me.

Well, actually, it was an inner dialogue with my ego and my Higher Self…because I am what I am…which is a complex integration of light frequencies, woven through multi-dimensions to create a self expression of source.  That’s a mouthful!  

Now before your ego starts telling you how crazy I am, I will interject that you absolutely can learn a lot when you turn inward and observe your shadow Self.  To know your ego is to know the ego, because I don’t believe our egos work differently.  It’s like an organ, it has a function that is necessary to exist and operate accordingly.  And like the second limb of Ashtanga Yoga, Niyama (observances), by studying your-Self/ego, it will bring you closer to the glorified key of the human mind, leading to enlightenment.

Marketing has attempted to master this key as well by using fear, insecurities, and social media to trigger all aspects of the ego.  They’ve learned how to play it like a violin…If you’ve ever unfriended a friend, made a passionate post about any topic, or used an emoji for approval or disapproval of anything, then you were a participant of ego-play: the silent manipulation of marketing to trigger an emotional response while keeping you engaged in a particular activity.

This is also why it’s important to know the ego: so that you can see the red flags of manipulation from outsiders, as well as the handful of manipulations you, your-Self, deal out.  Personal growth occurs when you become aware of your ego’s temper tantrums and adjust accordingly.  

The ego is like a magnet, it adds polarity to every topic that comes across your path.  For every thought, it creates two, for every two thoughts, it creates four, and eventually, you experience ‘monkey-mind,’ like the numbers of the Fibonacci Sequence, never grasping the end.

At the same time, with all the ‘dark’ talk about the ego, the ego does serve a lighter purpose.

Would you agree that without the ego, we would not be able to expand our minds and grow?  You need the dark to see the light and fully understand the spectrums of life.  Without the Yang, you’re oblivious to what the Yin truly represents.  Without the ego, or shadow Self, we wouldn’t be able to learn lessons from our mistakes or see from different perspectives.

The ego functions as a ‘perspective’ filter of the subconscious and conscious energies around you.  It assigns words to feelings, colors, forms, smells, tastes, and the like.  The ego allows you to formulate opinions of all the filtered information you can comfortably digest from consciousness.  The ego creates dimension and depth in a reality that would otherwise be quite flat.  

Does this mean your personality is your ego?  No.

Your personality is a remarkable by-product, a precious ramification of your ego.  It is a light refraction created because of the existence of the ego, which is why personalities are so unique.  Egos may function in a similar pattern but when a light body creates form, fractals of the Self come forward, magnifying it’s identity even further, molding into a personality. 

Imagine flashing a light through a 3D square, then a circle, or a triangle.  These shapes can represent one’s physical body or form.  Now visualize a filter screen, the ego, placed over the opening of this 3D shape.  When you flash the light through the filter and shape, what’s left is refracted light, a projection of form created because of the ego.  This would represent your personality; an expression of light through your own form.

So how do we work with something that has, or seems to have so much control in who we are?  

Befriend your ego.  

Once you begin to study your-Self and pick up on all your tainted habits and reactions, your ego will no longer seem like a monster, but rather a friend you can easily keep in check.

How do you begin to study your ego?

Well, check in with your feelings right here and now.  What are you thinking about regarding the information I just shared?  Here are some things to observe…

-Are you comparing and contrasting who you are with who I am?  The ego loves doing this!  In fact, if you know me personally, you might think I’m writing about you.

-Do you feel intimidated by what I wrote?  Or do you feel you could discuss this subject better than I did?

-Do you feel your perspective is always the right one?  Or do you feel like you can’t develop a strong opinion to share?

If you quietly answered, “Yes,” to any of these questions…excellent!  It really isn’t much of a challenge to tap into the I AM.  

Keep in mind, these questions are just the tip of the iceberg.  To really know and understand your-Self, you must be willing to ask the question, “Why am I doing this?”  It’s in this very question that you’ll begin to unravel the reasoning behind your intentions and re-actions.  The ego is a master at cause and effect.  If you block the answer because you don’t want to hear it, you’re blocking information about your-Self.  Just remember to be open and honest to receive answers.  And as you increase your receptivity for getting answers, continue to ask, “Why?”  This will bring you to the ultimate intention for your actions in the situation at hand.  

Shadow work can be very humbling, because it opens your eyes to intentions you weren’t aware of before.  Just keep in mind we can change our-Selves for the better anytime in life.  Change is constant, if we allow our-Selves to embrace it.  

The humbling lesson of the ego is yes, we are individuals, and yes, we are all connected.  One change, one action, one smile can be felt all the way through to the other side of our magnanimous universe.  

We can work on ourselves and discover the magnitude of our Be-ing and connections in this existence.  All of this insight would not be possible…therefore, I owe much gratitude to my dearest aspect of Self…my ego.  

Here’s Looking At You Kid,

Lesley