Transcending the Ego
There is a part of each of us that wants to be the best. That wants to win, to be liked, to get ahead. Sometimes this part takes over and our ego drives us to tear others down so that we can feel more powerful. Or it finds us lacking, believing we aren’t good enough because we don’t have what others do. We judge ourselves, we judge others. The consequences are hurt, shame and a sense of separation. Taken to its extreme, the ego can lead to war, hatred, and violence. It contributes to anxiety, depression, and feeling like we are never good enough. Our quest to be the best only ends up bringing out the worst in us.
The ego does not make us bad. It is part of our biology. It is our animal drive to survive. But it does not make us good, either. No meaning comes from this place. Peace and joy aren’t won here. In fact, it’s not about here at all. We may succeed again and again but it will never be enough. There is always somewhere we find ourselves lacking. Always someone ahead of us. Always another mountain to climb. No matter how hard we try, the ego will never take us to where we want to go. It does not lead to fulfillment. It does not lead to peace.
We can only find fulfillment by letting go of our separateness. When we no longer need to compete and prove ourselves, we can embrace the beauty of who we are – our goodness and interconnectedness. The ego draws firm lines between ourselves and others. It forgets that we are one. When we seek to prove we are better than others, all we are really doing is cutting ourselves off from them. Cutting ourselves off from the whole, from belonging. And true meaning, true joy is only found in connection. Is only found in the love we give, in the love we receive. This is what makes us good.
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