The truth is you’ll never be entirely free from your ego, however, you can create a harmonious union between your higher self and your egoistic self.
Your consciousness is your higher self, or whole self(essentially its all of you), which is boundless and all knowing, and your ego is the limited self that only sees the physical reality of what is taking place in your human life. Though the ego is often screaming at your higher self to fulfill its needs of “me, me, me,” you must remember that the physical world is all your ego knows. Whatever is happening in the physical world, your ego will clutch onto as if its absolute, your consciousness on the other hand, knows the greater purpose of what you’re doing and where you’re going.
Imagine your consciousness is the CEO of your life and your ego is the clerk; you need both to run a smooth operation. Your higher self relies on your ego to report the physical reality of your human form, so that it can incorporate that information with the infinite knowledge it encompasses, to then determine what’s next.
So how do we create a harmonious relationship between the two?
Do Not Fight Your Ego: Have you heard the phrase, “arguing with a fool proves there are two”? When you fight your ego, the battle is essentially just two forms of your ego attacking itself. Your higher self simply observes, because it is always aware of the bigger picture. Your ego is going to try desperately to hold on, but its essential that you let it down lightly as it can only see through a near-sighted lens.
Accept Your Emotions: When we awaken to our higher selves, we want to grasp onto that euphoric feeling for dear life, so when we experience anxiety, fear, sadness or anger, we want nothing more than to escape those feelings. However, as human beings, we are always going to feel those emotions and it is best to surrender when they are inside of us. Instead of saying, “I am unhappy,” say “There is unhappiness inside of me.” Accept what you feel, but do not allow it become the center of your life. Your emotions are there to guide you. Nurture your feelings with love and acceptance, and then go deep within, truly experience what you feel, and listen.
Trust Your Higher Self: Your life is a direct reflection of the voice you listen to and the thoughts you believe. Its true, the nature of the physical world we live in, makes it easy to mistake our ego for our true selves, however, our higher self is always in reach, so make an effort to connect with it. Our inner voice may start off as a nudge or a whisper, but if you make the effort to listen, the voice will become as clear as it was intended.
Be Kind to Yourself: It can be challenging to keep your ego in its place. During these challenging times, do not beat yourself up. Instead, view yourself as a baby being birthed into a new world and nurture yourself as so. Self judgement will do you no good. Hug yourself and love the person you are.
Consciously Breathe: Regularly take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Conscious breathing is directly proportional to your higher self.
Practice Mindfulness: The ego is constantly living in the past or the future; through the practice of mindfulness, we induce presence. Practice doing one thing at a time. For example, when you brush your teeth, you may think about countless other things that do not pertain to the “now” and in the process, you miss the moment of brushing your teeth all together. Living in the present moment quiets the mind, and a quiet mind contains the voice of your soul.
“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.”- Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
Find Gratitude: No matter what is happening in your life, there is always something to be grateful for, find it. Gratitude stems from love, and love is the essence of your higher self. The words “thank you” are priceless.
Immerse Yourself in Knowledge: Continue to read, listen, and watch things that inspire you to connect to your higher self. You are not alone and there is an abundance of insight from others who have also awakened.
Be Weary of the Ego Taking on New Forms:
The ego will fight tirelessly to steer the journey of your life as it desperately wants to feel in control. Sometimes the ego will try to trick you, by taking on a new version of itself. Here are two versions of the same ego:
“You didn’t meditate today. You didn’t do yoga. You didn’t connect with nature. See, you’re doing it all wrong.”
“See how great you are. You meditate. You do yoga. You breathe. You appreciate nature. See how much happier you are than everyone else.”
Just remember, the egoistic self is all about “me, me, me.”
Once You Are Awake…
Don’t be afraid of falling back to sleep. Once you have awoken, there is no going back, and the only way is forward. Trust your higher self and listen to the voice within, especially when what it has to say frightens you. Feel the fear and do it anyway.
As you become more conscious, your ego will loosen its grip. Your ego will start to trust in your higher self and reap the benefits without needing to be in control. Your ego will soon take a back seat and simply do the job it was intended to do.
Godspeed.
