Being Point

Tag: ego

  • Leaving Things Better Than You Found Them

    When I went camping as a child, I was taught to always leave the campground better than I found it. That most often meant not only completely removing any trash that my group had left behind, but also picking up and removing the trash generated by people whom I did not know.

    I remember feeling good about doing something that my child’s mind identified as noble. Making the world a better place even in the smallest way was very rewarding.

    That concept has remained a cornerstone of how I aspire to live my life. But I’m human, so the aspirations have been far greater than the realities of my being able to live up to that ideal.

    Do you ever pick up trash that others have left? Literally or metaphorically? It’s great to do it anonymously so that there’s no opportunity for ego gratification. How aware are you of leaving any situation better than you found it? What has been your experience and success at doing so? Is this concept something to which you resonate – or is it something else to you?

  • How Open Are You To Being In Love With Everything?

    Wake-up calls can be poignant, sweet and deeply moving parts of the human experience.

    Actress Jennifer Anniston said, “I love that feeling of being in love, the effect of having butterflies when you wake up in the morning. That is special.”

    Among the most profound wake-up calls is awakening to being in love with oneself, with the world, with all other humans, and with life itself. Yes, of course, we love romantically, and certainly we love our families and friends. Yet, how many of us are just now experiencing waking up to the love of life in all its forms?

    Have you noticed an expansion of your loving nature far beyond those in your immediate circle of friends and family? Are you open to being in love with everything? What is the degree to which you cultivate gratitude for your waking up to loving beyond all ego concerns?

    What kind of connection do you feel to animals in peril, oceans being damaged, hunger and plague? Can those experiences contribute to our “wake-up calls” as humans to make the world a better place for all life?

  • Reduce Your Self-Talk For Control, Approval and Judgment

    Self-talk often takes the form of what our egos identify as our needs. Deepak Chopra says:

    “If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. These are the three things that the ego is doing all the time. It’s very important to be aware of them every time they come up.”

    Pause for a moment and think about the implications of a life free of the need to control, to be approved of and to judge. Try just one day to monitor your internal dialogue to determine if you can shift your self-talk each time those dynamics occur.