So, Bilianna from Serbia.
Where are you, sweetheart?
[Bilianna:] Good evening, I'm fine. How are you?
Oh, good evening, good evening, that's right.
Oh, honey, so good to see you.
Also, for you, you have a nice red color, it's so--
Yeah.
It's so Christmas and--
(mumbles)
Yes, with the time of year and the holidays--
I love the word "holiday."
I think of holly, and children, and--
and people with smiles on their faces.
It's jingle bells.
Jingle bells!
Yeah, it's a beautiful time of year. Winter...
Yeah.
Well, sweetheart, read your email.
OK, I have one question.
"Do you believe that we all have ego?
What do you think of that?"
Well--
What is an ego to you?
You know, I'll say what it is to me first, OK?
OK.
"An ego, to me, is everything
that I believe to be true.
That 'I'"--
I wrote it the other way--
"Everything you believe to be true
that 'I,' believing,
is the ego.
The 'I' that believes is the ego.
That 'you,' you believe or think you to be,
that 'you,' you believe or think,
to be thinking, that is ego.
The one you believe as the thinker,
that 'I'--
I see as ego, the false self."
So, what is ego to you?
I experience that part of me
when I'm in the world of pluralities,
of, let's say, dualities.
So, when I experience extremes, mmm--
and I always--
well, sometimes, ego is, mmm--
let's say, useful, constructive, etc.,
but sometimes--
mmm, well, I don't think it's useful--
(laughs)
to me and I don't know how to question--
well, that part of me.
I just don't know what it is.
That's why I wanted to see how you experience it
and how should I be in peace with that part of me?
Do I have to question it or--
Well, you know, I would identify the situation
that is causing my discomfort,
and that would be about you, or about me, or about the world.
And then I would put my thoughts about that situation
on a Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet.
And then, I would do The Work with every concept
on that Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet.
Now, if I, mmm--
If I believed that--
--to some people this may sound disrespectful
and, yet, you know, here it is--
If I believed that I were talking to you
then that would be ego.
"I" am talking to "you".
So, what "I" would that be?
And the reason I ask that question is,
"I" now was talking to "you."
Where's my proof?
My mind says,
"Oh, I was talking to her."
Now, if I believe
what I'm thinking, I've got a past.
Now, that can be, as you pointed to earlier,
that can be
--and this is my own word-- it can be devastating.
It can be really painful and hurtful.
Or it can be exhilarating.
But there is a place, like,
we question the negative things on our Worksheet,
and then it leaves us with a balance.
But that's still duality.
Now, eventually--
as you experience turnarounds,
you begin to experience your true nature
and where you are at your best.
And then, eventually--
even that becomes not true.
What you're believing that brings such joy,
you begin to see is not true.
And then you just--
--I'll use a word here,
it's a word--
you're left "happy"
for no reason.
And that's the end of duality.
End of... You're right.
-Ya. -So, it's more like that.
That--
And "happy," is--
is a word that
each of us
defines on our own.
For me, it's, mmm--
it is just like--
It just is.
And I can't even claim it as a peace of mind.
So, when we question our negative thoughts,
we get a balance,
we continue to question our thoughts,
because it happens so automatically in us,
eventually,
we continue to experience inquiry,
to question our thoughts,
and then we're left with only the positive.
And there's nothing we can do about that.
We're just left with the positive,
which I just see as this--
this song that matches
our true nature, just this song, you know, the song of it,
the song of it.
The words don't even have-- They no longer have meaning.
It's just the song of it.
And it's--
and you begin to see it's OK--
to be seen as,
let's say, the speaker,
but not for you.
And--
that leaves you with this wonderful old world
that shows you your--
the echo of--
where you've apparently been, and it's just as beautiful.
And that state of gratitude and compassion
and all of it, running,
but always in gratitude.
You know, just as--
bright as--
you are.
Thank you so much.
This is the best Christmas present I get.
(laughter)
My love to you.
And mine.
-Thank you, precious. -Bye-bye.