The ego has run our lives so long, though, it is difficult to even discover it is not who we are. Our goal is to undo the grip the ego holds on us, but to do so, it is necessary to understand five things:
- The ego operates from fear.
- The ego has no internal self-worth.
- The ego needs external stimuli to validate itself.
- The ego lives in the past and a projected future.
- The ego is not real.
It is important to note that the ego is not bad or evil. It is necessary in our lives, just as we need a body to navigate through life. We have many life skills and personality traits that arise out of the ego and they are a pleasant part of our life experience. But often our ego is childish because we first started to develop it in childhood. And like a child, it sometimes needs the discipline of a wise and loving adult—your authentic self.
