THE UGLY WORD ~ EGO
The word EGO is one of those words that sounds ICKY. It get's a really bad wrap and can be one of those confusing words to understand. The truth is, as long as we have a body, we have an ego. There's no escaping it. The ego is not a bad thing. In fact, it can be a very healthy thing, once we make "friends" with it and develop a healthy relationship with it.
We do need to watch out for traps, where the Ego can make an appearance in disguise.
Spiritual Ego is one of the most deceptive and dangerous traps on the path of our growth. It disguises itself in wisdom, humility and righteousness, making it really hard to detect. The typical ego is driven by material success and status, which can be more easily seen.
The spiritual ego thrives in very subtle ways. It makes people emboldened in their suffering, as if their hardships are a sign of their spiritual status. These types of egos turn spirituality into a competition, where they compare their 'knowledge, experiences and levels of consciousness.' In some cases, they boast about how many spiritual programs they have attended, or "gurus" they have met, or how deep their insights are. In other cases, they make bold statements about how detached from the world they are, or from material things, an so on. We've all run into people like this.
The irony is that the more they try to prove they are so far beyond these ego traps, the stronger the ego grows in the shadows. They claim to be deep seekers of freedom, but yet they secretly and very deeply crave validation for being on, what they call, "The right path." Many people see the glitz and glamour in people like this and jump on the validation, and even worshipping train. This only fuels the ego for all that participate. We've all seen this too.
The moment that you believe that you are more elite, or better than others, because of your spiritual journey, you have fallen into illusion. If you are feeling elite or special, because of your spirituality, you are on the wrong track.
True transformation humbles you, breaks you, and makes you disappear. The destructive ego dissolves into one that can uplift you. This is not a defeat, but as the only way to break free from the things that bind you, and stop you from living in your own authenticity., in your own Self.
Transformation is not easy, which is why the ego can sneak in and take over. It's an illusion of "Doing the work."
Remember ~ "One truth, many paths."
We will all come to our own conclusions, in our own time, in our own way, as long as we stick to one thing ~ The commitment to our own self-growth, to our own self-realization.
The most important thing to remember ~ Don't take yourself so seriously! The minute you do, you blocked your flow for growth. IT'S ALL A LILA ~ A DIVINE PLAY!!!
ENJOY THE PLAY!! ENJOY THE PROCESS!!! ENJOY THE FLOW!!
~Leelah Lakshmi ~
