Give your Ego the Day Off
Can I really do that?
But wait.. what does the Ego do all day?
A few things come to mind.
Judging: Ego loves to judge everything and everyone, including you!
Second Guessing: It also likes to create self doubt.
Validation: Ego expects recognition from others.
Control: The need to control everything to achieve a preconceived outcome.
Ok, giving the ego the entire day off may be little daunting! But just think how refreshing it would be to reduce some of our self created drama. This can be done, one step at a time.
The first is being aware of your thoughts and reactions. The list above is a good starting point.
Judging: This is probably the easiest to recognize and the most difficult to let go. Start the day with the intention to "Judge nothing that occurs". Often there are silent judgements that do not outwardly hurt anyone. Being aware of how quick and routine our judgements are, can give insight to how we judge outwardly. This insight may help you to be more open minded to the overall picture, which you may find that no judgement is needed at all.
Second Guessing: Often when second guessing, we tend to question the motive or outcome. The real question should be "Why am I second guessing this?" The reasons you list will most likely have nothing to do with your ability and everything to do with what you think others will think. Take this awareness and change those reasons to why you can do this.
Validation: We grow up wanting to be recognized, heard, and encouraged. There is nothing wrong with wanting these things; unless it prohibits you from moving forward. As we become adults and no longer need parental approval, we look for it elsewhere. We should ask ourselves "what do we expect to happen once validated?" The next questions are "will this expectation change the outcome?"; "do I want a different outcome?"; and "will this expectation happen without external validation?" Being honest with yourself and trusting your self will eliminate unnecessary speculation, allowing more time for confident creativity.
Control: As we become more aware of our thoughts and authenticity, the need to control will lessen. Just think of a project or circumstance that you have recently been involved with. How much worry and speculation did you invest in it? How much of that investment did you share with others? How much remained only in your head? It is a fine line that will only become clearer with awareness. Instead of worrying and micromanaging...think of uplifting ways that will enhance your intentions and be open minded to making changes as needed.
We might not be able to give our ego the entire day off, but we can start reducing it's workload. Bringing awareness to your thoughts happens slowly. Once you take the first step of knowing ,opportunities for growth, positivity and creativity will follow.
