Lately, I’ve been drawn to studying the ego with books almost literally falling into my lap. Eckhart Tolle’s books (and let’s toss Dr. Wayne Dyer’s books into the mix as well) have given me an eye-opening understanding, a real wake-up call, of how our ego tries to get the best of us, feeding off our demise by making us worry about the past and the future.
I understand very clearly how the ego feeds off of the emotional stress created when we are troubled about what has happened and what could happen. I also understand that the only true time is the present, the now. If we look at what is happening to us, or what we are experiencing at this exact moment, are things really so bad? Probably not. In fact, I’m rather enjoying exploring this ego-thing as I sit here at type. I’m enjoying what’s happening right now, which means the ego is nowhere to be found. But if I stop my pondering and think about how I’m going to pay my rent next month, my heart begins to race and my pleasant moods falls to the wayside. Oops! I’ve just let my ego enter the room and take control of my emotions and everything went sour! Tsk, tsk.
But now that I know this, how can I apply it to my everyday life? How can I live every moment of every day without my mind running away with things, distracting me from enjoying the moment I’m currently having? From a textbook perspective, it makes total sense, but applying it seems near to impossible.
One way to realize that you’re making progress is by acknowledging that the ego is present. Last night, my mate and I had a moment and sat in our separate rooms. I sat there stewing over it alone on the sofa, when I realized that my stupid ego had just taken over. In a flash of brilliance, I saw what had happened. I was letting my ego talk me into being the victim. But its power was very strong and I found it difficult to stop those negative thoughts. So, I’ve learned Lesson One: identifying the ego. What Lesson Two holds for me is recognizing how often it happens, all that endless mind chatter which is usually unproductive, and learning how not to let it get the best of me. Will ending that inner mind noise and enjoying the moment bring happiness closer?
If so, how do we end all that mind talk? Simply by becoming aware and actually listening to it. By listening, the typically negative chatter will stop and you will find silence and the door to living in the present will be open.
I was recently watching the show “An Idiot Abroad: The Bucket List” in which Karl Pilkington explores the world of face-diving. What I found myself focusing on besides Karl’s adventure was the fact that his mentor for the escapade was dubbed “The Happiest Man in the Village.” This native was so truly happy, so in the moment, that anything he encountered brought him great joy and laughter. He obviously lived his life without his ego's banter and negativity.
Finding myself longing for the same happiness as he had, I realized that this was confirmation that was I was headed on the right path. The books jumping out at me, this random moment in a television program, these instances are guiding me in the direction I want to and wish to go . . . and this makes me happy ☺
