EGO– it’s not what you think it is
We’ve all heard the term “ego driven” or referred to someone as having a “big ego” when they appear extremely self-assured and boastful, but did you know that metaphysically speaking, we understand Ego in a far different light?
I can almost guarantee that you are led by your Ego.
That’s a bold statement I’m making considering I don’t even know you. In fact, it’s probably got you on the defence, with the thought “Excuse Me? I am the most non ego driven person I know!” and you’re quickly deciding whether or not to continue reading…
But what if I told you that the Ego is simply one’s response to threat? You see, we are all spiritual beings having a human experience and Ego is a human characteristic designed to keep us safe.
It is responsible for recognising an incoming threat to our survival and responding instinctively with fight, flight or freeze.
For decades now though, Fear has become our Ego’s trigger basically because the earth has experienced a long period of low vibrational acts of violence, terrorism and destruction etc. We have become over exposed to the potential for death to literally be anywhere and anytime.
Our basic survival skills have evolved from protecting us from lions, tigers and bears to words, thoughts and emotions. Our Ego now recognises fear and does what it needs to in order to protect us from getting disappointed, rejected or hurt… not eaten.
This gets a little messy when everyone’s interpretation of a ‘threat’ is different and even messier when we each respond in our own individual pattern of either fight, flight or freeze.
We are all unique individuals having unique and individual experiences for our soul to essentially expand and eventually transcend back into our spiritual form. Each of our souls must learn earthly lessons, in our own time and through our own opportunities to expand as such we all have our own subjective fears and typical response.
If you are a ‘fighter’ then you are usually either someone who sets out to constantly and consistently prove themselves at all costs, often leading to a life of achievement but lacking of fulfilment and close relationships or you are someone who has many volatile relationships, seemingly fighting battle after battle just to get by.
If you are a ‘flighter’ then you avoid confrontation and tend to think if I ignore it, it will go away. Often running from things that make you feel uncomfortable. Flighter’s are typically those of us who may struggle with addictions like alcohol, drugs, sex and lies… all ways for us to escape from our reality.
If you are a ‘freezer’ you tend to live a simple non-eventful, ordinary life. You avoid putting yourself out there too much and prefer to observe and follow. You maintain relationships and have a regular 9 – 5 job.
So, you see we are all in fact Ego driven. There is no right or wrong Ego response, it’s just whichever was activated when we first experienced an incoming threat as a young child. That threat would have given us the awareness that if I respond in this way then I am ok.
We learn to adapt to a level of ‘ok’ and this is essentially what determines the quality of our life and our spirit’s human experience. However, every time, unless your life is literally in danger, you are choosing to contract into Ego. No growth occurs in contraction, just repetition of the same lesson/opportunity.
Where growth does occur is in expansion. And in order to expand, we must choose to let our Higher Self (our intuition) steer the wheel. Knowing now that our fears are causing us to follow set patterns of behaviour and the ripple effect of how that plays out has led us to this very moment in time, opens up the question “How do I stop listening to my overzealous Ego and hear my intuitive Higher Self?”
Unless my life is in danger (in which case please do let your Ego drive you in the most appropriate way), I always follow these 3 rules when it comes to separating from my Ego and allowing my intuitive self to take the reins…
1. Listen, don’t respond. I know that my Ego will always speak first and loudest. I honour it by knowing that it is doing me a favour in highlighting my fear so I can acknowledge it and work on understanding its triggers and its root cause.
2. If I know all the risks, I take the leap! I trust that expanding will bring me exactly what is meant for me.
3. The Ego is very judgmental, so whenever I find myself judging someone or something, I write it down and then look at it objectively to gain a new perspective of what it is about me that triggers the ego’s judgement.
Try these out for yourself and put your Ego in the corner!
Roberto Delgado Webb
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