Do you ever think about how you’re thinking? Do you ever think about who is thinking you? In this week’s video, I talk about the importance of thinking about what you’re thinking, and becoming aware of who is actually doing the thinking – the voice of the Ego? Or is it the voice of Inspiration/Who You Really Are/A Higher Power, or whatever you’d like to call it?
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Great message…very powerful, thank you! Love you!
Thanks Jean 😉 Love you too my friend.
very inspiring.Thank you.I wonder if you have read the book- Liquid Luck- by Dr.Joseph Gallenberger.
Glad to hear it, Abraham. Thanks for sharing 😉 No, I haven't read Liquid Luck.
Catching unwanted thoughts is about being aware of your thoughts which is what you mentioned in your video. One technique I use is when I catch myself in an unwanted thought I immediately repeat to myself "Stop, Cancel, Clear, Replace." I immediately replace that thought with a much better feeling thought. It's all about thinking about what you are thinking and being in the moment.
It's interesting how terminology changes over time, and because of this, established concepts seem new again. That may actually be a good idea. Restating the Golden Rule in different words tends to get people to pay the concept greater attention – at least for a while. In days past, the concept you are presenting would involve words like introspection, reflection, meditation, maybe prayer and communion (not the religious ritual kind, but one of authentic heart connection with the Divine). Some words change meaning over time as well. Ego is one such word. The role it fills now is such that if in older Christian text, the word devil was replaced by ego, the writing would very strongly resemble a "new age" mindset. I have the original text of ACIM, which contains no mention of ego. Originally, a distinction was made between spiritual and physical vision. A later edit changed "physical vision" to "ego." Subsequently, regarding the ego as an enemy that undermines our well-being has been the corner stone of countless writings. I think that's unfortunate because it suggests that the Creator manifested us as a "house" divided against itself, or beings with an intractible cognitive malignency. True understanding of the ego facilitates self-acceptance and the opportunity to be free of its limitations. The ego is an integral part of us, but it's not useful in guiding our lives, just as our elbows are poor tools for eating soup. The ego operates at a level of function that's closer to a reptilian brain, in that its concerned with basic survival. It "thinks" in concrete terms, and is amoral. It triggers fear of change and the unknown, just as a creature will run from a shadow without ever looking to see what created it. It's closely related to pride, using it as a tool to resist change and maintain a feeling of self-efficacy. Yet it's not qualified to determine what true self-efficacy is. It's more like the "check engine" light on a car, when its signals are kept in proper perspective. We can observe that it has an issue, but we don't need to change our destination or drive off a cliff because of it.
When we get tired or ill, the world seems greyer and people more irritating. The ego can cause similar distortion in perception. In both cases, it may be tempting to blame external causes, even though the problem is entirely internal. We usually catch on when our body is making us cranky, and we can be attuned sufficiently to the source of our cognitive/emotional inputs as well. This is pretty much in agreement with you, that we need to think about our thinking. Our elbows don't betray us if we try using them to eat soup, nor does our ego betray us if we try using it to guide our lives. We may misunderstand and misuse our inner resources, but we simply have no built in aspects that are programmed to be our enemy. We need not regret any part of ourselves brought into existence by our Creator.
Ande. Good presentation and very thoughtful. Question: When one thinks of Ego, one thinks of boastfulness and often extreme confidence in an individual yet in your talk, you refer to it as the "Voice of Limitations". Is it not what propels some people to exceed in their lives. Using the word Ego to describe limitations seems somewhat contradictory?
Good question, Brian. In my videos I am generally referring to the Ego from a spiritual persective. What you're describing is a definition of Ego most commonly used in psychology. Here's a great quote from Deepak Chopra that I love, that does a great job of describing the Ego from a spiritual perspective.
"The Ego, however, is not who you really are. The ego is your self-image; it is your social mask; it is the role you are playing. Your social mask thrives on approval. It wants control, and it is sustained by power, because it lives in fear." ~ Deepak Chopra
That's great, Joe! Thanks for sharing.
I have been a vicim of these insane thoughts for many years – love,love love what you are saying here ! Thanks !!