Sometimes I feel like I’m in the ego management business — in the midst of finishing a new book, preparing to launch The Shadow Effect, building two new websites, creating an amazing webspace for my coaches, leading workshops and trainings, making brochures, Twittering and updating my Facebook status, mothering, and more. It can be overwhelming and bring up the most earthly behaviors — mine and others. Of course, I’m in denial when they’re mine and appalled when they’re somebody else’s. That’s the way of the ego, the way of the shadow and its mighty defense called projection.
I woke up this morning asking, "What’s the answer?" How do you get through life each day when you’re in overwhelm, when there is more on your plate than you can handle, or when life is just not behaving as it should? I needed some solace (peace) so I went digging around in my next book The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse to find it. I thought I’d attend one of my own lectures. And right there on page 12, I got relief. Even though the book is not out until September, I wanted to share what shifted me with you.
It is your soul’s journey to bring into balance all of what you are — the coexistence of opposites, the divine integration of the sum of all the parts. It is the soul’s journey to enroll the ego in the quest for the ultimate victory — the evolution of your own individual consciousness. But the journey must begin by choosing between two forces: one has the power to lead you to new heights; the other can keep you pinned down to a past that is filled with limitation and dread. Don’t be fooled. You’re living either an ego-driven life or one that is soul centered.
The soul discerns with a laserlike sharpness. The ego judges and rejects with disdain and aggressiveness. The soul takes responsibility.The ego blames and transfers responsibility. The soul moves through life with grace. The ego moves through life with sloppiness, chaos, and drama. The soul feels good about who it is and what it wants and needs to sustain itself, to grow and evolve. The ego never has enough; it can never leave well enough alone or see beyond the current circumstances. It is entitled, confused and feels stuck.
The ego is tirelessly swimming against the current, while the soul sits back and floats in the direction that life is moving in. You’re either being guided by your soul or driven by your ego. At any time, you have access to either of these lifestyles, and to all the experiences and emotions they bring with them.
So after reading these short paragraphs, I realized that all there was for me to do in the midst of the turmoil was to choose the journey of my sweet soul — to tune in, to listen even more deeply and to stay committed to a higher vibration — the vibration of love, peace and success…my soul’s success.
So of course I’ll ask you like I asked myself, "What can you do this week to make this human experience more loving, more honest and more soulful?" I hope you remember that, in the midst of an ego attack, you too can choose a higher vibration. It is the only true path to your soul’s success.
Sending you lots of love for the week ahead,
Debbie Ford
Your description of soul and ego resonate with me. Knowing what ego looks like can help when one is aware of the possibility of being under its spell. Thanks!
Really related to what you said about finishing a book and lauching a website – I am doing those two EXACT same things right now. Just talked to my design developer this morning and working on turning the website into a book deal….so I completely understand "ego management" both for myself and others that I interact with. Nice writing!
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"How can your mind be satisfied with small realities when your heart has big dreams?"
http://quantum-health.blogspot.com
Beautifully put. But can ego be made to serve the soul? I recently blogged:
"You cannot train a fish to breathe air, and you cannot train ego to live a spiritual life. Enlightenment comes by transcending ego, not by transforming it. The attachment to ego may be the last attachment you surrender, but until you can accomplish this, you have not set foot upon the Path."
To me, the struggle is whether Mind will serve ego or Spirit.
What a great reminder that we can choose to struggle or choose to flow with the higher self. Thanks for that! The world around us seems to call for the ego at all times and drags us into the depths and we must remember and strive to reach for the higher self, the path of the soul.
Debbie–always find your words full of wisdom and compassion for our divine human experience. I just keep getting, over and over again, that it's about writing a better story. Is ego writing the story (as you said of chaos, overwhelm and drama) or are we listening to the story of grace (all is well even the chaos, overwhelm and drama).