Today I was excited to watch Oprah's Life Class. I know the whole Oprah thing is a little over-rated but you have to agree that there isn't much on television these days that empowers us to discover and identify with our true selves.
Today's show was about ego. When you think about ego, you might think of someone who is haughty, arrogant, or snotty. But ego isn't all about "acting out". Ego is every thought you have about yourself. I'm fat. I'm ugly. I'm rich. I'm poor. I'm amazing. I'm stupid. You get the idea. Ego is also how you identify with the things around you. It's how you identify with your salary, your status in the company you work for, your educational background, your friends, your spouse, etc. Ego is when you think that you, as a person, are better or worse because of these THINGS. For example, I often have the thought that I'm not good enough because I'm over weight. Or, on the other end, I sometimes have the thought that I'm better than others around me because I have a four year degree, and they don't.
That is ego.
I remember they mentioned that people often get defensive when their opinions are challenged. This is another example of ego. "You're challenging MY beliefs? MY values?" We feel as if we are being attacked. The lesson was about being aware of these thoughts, recognizing that they are coming from your "ego" self, and being able to separate your true self from it. I think we have to step back at times and remember, "Whoa, that's my ego talking." We can't control all of our thoughts but we have the ability to recognize and learn from them. I think we are never done trying to figure out who we are, and if you learn to recognize that ego voice, you are getting closer and closer to your true self.
No "thing" defines who we are. When you are working towards a goal, ask yourself, why am I doing this? Does the answer come from your ego self, or true self?
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