If you ever feel like sometimes there's this underlying
uneasiness that we can feel in life sometimes
like we're never really fully content with how things are something could always be better
I was hoping that today we could delve into what might be the root cause of some of those feelings in ways that we can maybe
overcome it a way to create space to feel content but not like a shallow short-lived happiness
I mean finding balance calmness and peace in our everyday lives
So just to give you a little bit of background here the information I'm sharing in today's video is based on a book
Called "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. It's one of the few resources
I've come across in my life that shifted the way my mind works and how I process my emotions
In the book Tolle introduces the concept of having an ego, which is usually an attribute
we associate with somebody who feels like they're a lot better than everyone else
But for the sake of the ego, we're gonna be talking about in today's video. That's not what I want you to think
Instead. I want you to see the ego as this identity that we've created about ourselves
For example, you might say I'm a really good illustrator. I'm a hard worker
I'm a multitasker and I'm also an anxious person. I keep making stupid life choices
I don't think anyone likes me and this and that thing about my body are ugly in all of these thoughts whether they were
Positive or negative the ego is hidden in the words
I, me, my or mine. I am a hard worker
My body is ugly and these beliefs about our personalities our talents our abilities
These are our ego. It's a mental construction that we've created of ourself
So it's our self-image and it's artificial
The more we identify with these things as being real the more the ego creates
emotional drama in our lives
* Characteristics of the EGO *
There's a few aspects of the ego that are really important to point out for one the ego loves to identify with things that
Enhances its sense of self-worth. That's my car my partner my clothes. This is my life, my story
The ego also loves to compare comparing our positive attributes to someone else's negative attributes or the other way around
like for example saying something like
Everyone around me seems to have their life together, and I don't know what I'm doing
Or why am I always the hard worker and he's always so lazy
The ego loves to attach itself to labels because labels enforce that sense of self. Those people are successful
I'm a failure or I'm a hard worker that person is lazy.
Me versus them and when we
Validate labels we feed the ego
Complaining is another aspect of the ego and also helps to strengthen it whether we're just complaining silently to ourselves
Mentally or when we vocalize it and complain out loud
We complain about the situation that we're in or how someone acted or how we look
The ego just feeds off of the drama and let's say for example that we don't like how we look
subconsciously without even being aware of it the ego tells us that maybe if we buy more things
Beautiful things then we too will be beautiful. Maybe these new material possessions will boost our self-worth
But the thing with the ego is is it's never fully satisfied that feeling of pleasure that comes after some retail therapy
It's always short-lived because the ego is already looking for something else
wanting something more
So what do we do about all of this Tolle says that the key to
Transcending the ego is to simply become aware of it
the problem is the ego is usually hidden in the stream of
unconscious thoughts that runs through our heads so rapidly every single day but as soon as we become aware of the thoughts the
Attachments the labels the comparing the complaining we are no longer the thoughts. We're now the
Awareness the person observing the thoughts the thoughts are just thoughts
The feelings are just feelings, but they're not us. We're not identified with it
And so awareness of the ego is the key to transcending it
If we want to easily spot the ego we just need to look for the trail of emotional drama
It leaves behind in our lives and it manifests itself in feelings of dissatisfaction
anxiety anger
Insecurity these feelings are usually strongly associated with our sense of self image. So anytime you notice yourself saying the words
I me my or mine
Chances are your ego is at play here
so for example
We never really cared about the car until it became my car
We didn't feel jealous about that person until it became my partner
I wouldn't have cared about the plate at the store
But as soon as my plate breaks
I'm upset another really easy way to spot the ego is anytime we feel like we don't have enough of something because the ego always
Wants more more success more money more attention more pleasure
And anytime it doesn't feel like it has enough of something
it can make us feel like we're the ones that
Aren't enough. And the thing with the ego is we can never really fully ever get rid of it completely
It's always gonna be there but how strong of a role it plays in our lives depends on how much we let it run free
unconsciously and the key word there is
unconsciously
So now that we know how to spot the ego
Let's go over some ways that we can reduce its presence in our lives kind of actionable items that we can put into practice today
for one being more open and honest, you know how sometimes a friend or family member asks how you're doing and you're like, oh
Yeah, I'm really good even though you know, that's not true. That's the ego
It's trying to maintain a certain self-image maybe that of being happy or perfect
So instead try being open and honest and tell the person how you feel
This isn't just say go ahead and complain that would be the ego again, but just state the facts you'll notice that so much
Stress is lifted off of your shoulders when you do
Another thing that we can do is to find the value in the work that we do seeing how our work provides
Value instead of viewing it as something that we do for recognition or for fame or monetary gain
the ego hides behind the eye and the knee
So if we act in a selfless way for other people, this is another way we can transcend the ego
doing things not because we expect something in return but doing it because we feel it benefits the greater good in some way and
finally the last place that the ego just really doesn't exist in our lives is when we're in the present moment because the ego
Can't be busy thinking about the past or worrying about the future when it's in the now or when we are in the now
For everyone being in the present moment can come about in different ways
Like maybe if you're photographing
Or painting and you're really engrossed in it or for some people. They're more in the moment when they're meditating or exercising or doing yoga
Spending time in nature writing gratitude lists playing with their pets whatever it is
It's these moments the now moments when the ego isn't present in our lives and these these
Concepts of the ego that I've shared with you today
This is just the basics of what the ego is and the role that it can play in our lives
But what I've shared is nothing compared to the depths and insights that Eckhart Tolle shares in his books
It's one of those books
I know I'm gonna return to over and over it explores the topic and so much more depth. The scenarios are just incredible
I wholeheartedly recommend the book
I want to thank audible for partnering with us on this video
If you'd like you can get this book or any other book of your choosing
For free plus a 30-day free membership by visiting audible.com/pickuplimes, or see the link in the description box below
I really hope that you found today's topic
Valuable that it's helped to relieve any uneasiness. You might be feeling in your life to help you understand it a little bit better
I know that it did that for me for sure. Just
Personifying the ego separating it from ourselves and observing it
What it does how it behaves it really helps to not put so much of the pressure on ourselves at least
That's how I felt about it. Thanks a lot for watching today's video. Hope you enjoyed pickup lines signing off
We'll see you in the next video