How the "ego" can crush the ability and thwart the best of intentions. The simplest thing that has been working very well for me given any kind of negative sitch, and creating the ability to rise above has been a simple mantra..."let God in"
This is working. It is simple. I don't have to pray with a great long winded feeling, train of thought or anything. I just simply open up and "let God in"
Got through a difficult to sell presentation with this simple short prayer/ mantra. And was able to just impress the ideas and let others sift through it. (pretty sure everyone is on board and will work together to hash out details) : )
It is not about me. Just being comfortable with God , the Highest Power, within. He is there and we don't have to beg borrow or steal to get Him. All you have to do is stop thinking about the self a little and the more it happens, purposefully, the more it happens naturally.
Letting go of the things that bind us in the wrongest of ways always thwarting the chance to become more of what we can in the most good ways, well I never thought it could be this simple.
-- Edited by Dakota on Wednesday 18th of March 2009 07:14:21 AM
"the more it happens, purposefully, the more it happens naturally. " - That is so important to remember for me...progress not perfection...thanks for the reminder!
"I Am" is the spiritual being having my human experience. Ego is that part of my mind that thinks it is separate - from everything. They have an inverse relationship. When ego is out in front acting in the world, "I Am" is in back and can't be seen. When "I Am" is in front and active in the world, ego is in back. For alcoholics, ego has completely dominated our lives and "I Am"hasn't seen the light of day for a long time. God is already and always "in", but God is in "I Am" and since ego is separate is not in ego. The twelve steps let you move your ego to the back so that "I Am" can come forward.
It hit me at about 3 months that I was so morbidly self-focused that it almost made me sick. Even realizing this, I could not change it and am still working on it. I'm wondering if this is one of those parts of the disease that is permanent and always needs to be kept in check by working the program. What say you oldtimers?
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Nicely put Greg, I wish I'd known about the "duality" in my life, long ago. I've been working on the deconstruction of my ego for a while and am trying to be constantly "aware" of it's presence. I find the ego to be a "filter" in which I interpret everything going on....that is, if I let it. It's becoming more natural for me to be "aware" nowadays and hope this will continue. The "I AM" has the better voice for sure! It took almost 50 years to build this ego so will likely be another 50 to work on it's deconstruction. Thankfully, through this program, I am a patient man! For me, it started with Eckhart Tolle (and Oprah) January 2008.
Scott
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Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. ~Buddha
"I was so morbidly self-focused that it almost made me sick. Even realizing this, I could not change it and am still working on it. I'm wondering if this is one of those parts of the disease that is permanent and always needs to be kept in check by working the program."
It is how we are all born. Focused on the self. It is not so much that we need to completely lose our ego, but not be so worried that we don't get all we want. Self-preservation, the effort of keeping ourselves intact, and at some level of feeling fulfilled etc (put many things we WANT in that feeling desire spot)...But the idea is that we get broken up in the process of wanting too much or not the best stuff to fulfill those needs/ desires.
It is truly a healthy part of the maturational process to scrutinize those needs/desires/wants. It is like cleaning up a room full of junk. Most of it you keep because you can't bare to part with it. Some of it is blatantly crap. Some of it you actually do need.
I believe the disease is not incurable/ but the cure is continual. We can become faithful. Putting Faith in your life as a verb. Putting Love in your life as a verb.
It isn't what we think/desire/need/want so much but what we do today that counts. How we think right now that counts. How we share with our fellow human beings that really counts!
It isn't to say we won't have off days when the ole ego starts getting greedy again, but working at keeping it balanced and at bay. I think we can learn to become better at what we do. And there is always going to be room for improvement!
(that was verbose ; )
-- Edited by Dakota on Thursday 19th of March 2009 09:34:36 AM
