One way to think about ego is as a protective heavy shell, such as the kind some animals have, like a big beetle. This protective shell works like armor to cut you off from other people and the outside world. What I mean by shell is a sense of separation: Here’s me and there’s the rest of the universe and other people. The ego likes to emphasize the “otherness” of others.

This sense of separation is an intrinsic part of the ego. The ego loves to strengthen itself by complaining—either in thoughts or words—about other people, the situation you find yourself in, something that is happening right now but “shouldn’t be,” and even about yourself. For example, when you’re in a long line at the supermarket, your mind might start complaining how slow the checkout person is, how he should be doing this or doing that, or he failed to do anything at all—including packing the bag of the person ahead of you correctly.

 When this happens, the ego has you in its grip. You don’t have thoughts; the thoughts have you—and if you want to be free, you have to understand that the voice in your head has created them and irritation and upset you feel is the emotional response to that voice. Only in this way can you be present to the truer world around you and see the golden shade in a pound of pears on the scanner, or the delight of a child in line who begs to eat them.The trick, of course, is to work to free ourselves from this armor and from this voice that is dictating reality.”

 

Isn’t that so true? And the ego, boy is it powerful… just sucks me right in over and over again. So next time I’m having a reaction, a strong emotion I’ll try to think of this quote…starve the ego, feed the soul… and decide to do what feeds my soul.  It’s a constant back and forth right now for me, with ego winning out more often then not, but I’ve definitely made progress the past few years since awakening to even recognizing the insanity of it all. Anyway, any moment I can break away from ego is a win for me cause it’s one step closer to living my truth.