On Ego & Soul

I see memes going around from time to time that say something to the effect of “starve the ego, feed the soul” and after careful consideration, I decided I preferred a different approach. It’s not that I wish to demonize a way that’s different from mine, but I want to use this line of thinking to highlight something important.

Why are we so quick to vilify the ego—such an intrinsic aspect of the identity? Although we can all agree that there are few things worse than interacting with someone touting an overly inflated ego, why does this fallacy make ego intrinsically bad?

I humbly submit that in order to walk a fully integrated path of wholeness, it’s important that we take the time to flesh out our ego without becoming consumed by it… to walk a path of moderation with ego.

I believe the ego can be used as a tool for us to achieve our goals and possibly even greater purpose (if you believe in that sort of thing). Any tool can become an inept weapon in unknowing hands.

Walking a path of moderation with ego looks like:

-shamelessly delving into worldly hobbies and explorations that allow you to cultivate new ways of learning or self expression and using these to connect with others and/or spirit

-proudly celebrating your unique perspective and identity while understanding you play a role in a bigger picture within your family and community

-loving yourself unconditionally while remaining open to feedback of if any of your habits or behaviors are harmful to yourself or others… and then having the willingness to shift aspects of identity proven to be harmful.

-believing in your own abilities and inner wisdom while staying sensitive and humble to the flow of the people and places around you