"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Ego's grip

"If you are in the grip of ego, you believe that by doing more and more you will eventually accumulate enough 'doings' to make yourself feel complete at some point in the future. You won't. You will only lose yourself in the doing." ~ Eckhart Tolle A New Earth

I believe, that what we really are is a soul without labels, without humanly definitions, awards or shame to carry on its back. We are souls that are meant to walk through fire and through rainbows of human experiences, only to be primed and polished into a brighter, shinier version of our conscious selves. Our souls carry no memory of the past, and no desire for the future, but blossoms in the present moment as it occurs, one moment after another. Can we exist this way? Is it possible? I believe my soul's journey is about coming face to face with Ego and getting to know her well, very well. And by knowing Ego well, it is the only way I can overcome her sly tricks, recognize her vicious words, her relentless needs, temptations, stress and torments that come into play every day.  Ego is a growing amoeba highly dependent on our needs to think about self. The more we spend time *thinking* of self, the greater the Ego's appetite becomes. The more we lose ourselves into the human feelings called selfishness, hate, anger, shame, arrogance, self-pity, judgement, narcissism, sadness, anxiety, guilt, and fear...the less we truly know ourselves without prejudice.

Our potential as humans is enormous, but not by what we do, what we can become, or what we've invented or created. It is by our capacity to love, enjoy and be enthusiastic about what is happening at this very moment. My own inquest had to do with recognizing an inner conflict between what I am exactly right now, and who I wish I could be or what I wish I could be doing. There is only one result to this conflict, constant suffering and agony. Once I remember and realize that my potential for happiness exists in this every moment, then there will be no need for Ego, no need for stress. To bring enthusiasm, alertness, consciousness, and pure freedom of spirit to our children, to our families, to our friends, at any given moment, I believe, is our true purpose. From there, joy and creativity can be born without us ever having to work for it.



Much love to you my friends...
xoxo

29 comments:

  1. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. So very well said - we have so much to give to the earth and people around us.
    xoxo
    Cheyenne

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  2. "Our potential as humans is enormous, but not by what we do, what we can become, or what we've invented or created. It is by our capacity to love, enjoy and be enthusiastic about what is happening at this very moment."

    thanks, i need to hear that often.

    in the past few years i have been dancing between deep acceptance and purpose. sometimes i feel that so much acceptance of what is right now is too passive. not everything is okay, okay to continue as it is. although all is perfect as it is in a grander thinking.

    so i'm still playing with that.

    i tend towards the taoist thinking of effortless action. change and shifts with a flow, rather than fighting what is.

    i don't view ego as a bad thing, but that's a whole other spiritual discussion. :D

    btw, a new earth is one of a handful of spiritual books that i've (partially) read and really liked it.

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  3. i read you and i suddenly remembered that quote :
    neither a lofty digree of intelligence nor imagination nor bothgo to the making of genius ( and i change it : to the making of happiness)
    love, love, love thats the soul of genius ( or happiness )

    love to you

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  4. ... the quote belongs to W.A. Mozart : )

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  5. yes, yes, yes ... staying in the moment ... certainly has helped me since Mr. Dragon's passing. We were together 30 years. I try very hard to enjoy each moment. .. play with the kitties, work in the garden, smile at the birds that visit, put up the Christmas trees and enjoy them ... moment by moment. Yes, yes, yes!!! Well done, MJ!

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  6. thank you, a reminder I needed today!!

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  7. i’m going to have to read that several times over to absorb fully! thank you!

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  8. I love Eckhart and I love what you said, "To bring enthusiasm, alertness, consciousness, and pure freedom of spirit to our children, to our families, to our friends, at any given moment, I believe, is our true purpose."

    I completely agree.

    xo
    cortnie

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  9. A brilliant post MJ! I thought I was reading a quote from a book at first!
    Yes, to everything you have written. Yes!
    xx

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  10. wow, I really neede to hear that, so well timed, thankyou xxx

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  11. Extraordinary, MJ.

    I could feel myself changing and lifting as I read these words. Your words are extraordinary. You are extraordinary. The soul is extraordinary. The moment, the moment, the moment, is extraordinary.

    THANK YOU.

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  12. Wow -- these words are so very powerful MJ. And your self portrait at the top of the post is stunning. You, your soul, are so so beautiful! I am so proud of you, knowing how much you've said you are hesitant to share photos of yourself...

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  13. such perfect timing. I've been having a love/hate relationship with my Ego for years now, but the past few weeks I've been straining to understand her so I can 'tame' her, per se.
    I love the idea of being a soul only knowing the moment. Such clarity there.

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  14. You have rendered me speechless yet again, my friend. It really does feel like you're speaking directly to me sometimes, and it is so timely. Thank you for this. xo

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  15. love this very beautiful MJ.Always love reading your notes from the heart! Stay in touch!!!

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  16. What beautiful post to greet me for my first visit to your blog amazing thank you so much it is always nice to remember why we are really here.
    I have enjoyed reading your past posts I'm now following if you find a spare minute visit me sometime, thanks again Hope you have a lovely day.

    Always Wendy

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  17. Yes to all of it, MJ. You writing is beautiful and wise. The inner conflict of which you speak, I feel that too sometimes and am striving not to let it weigh me down.

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  18. I believe that the egoic mind serves us well in our human form, and other times it can be hugely limiting. As I progress through my human experience, I find that there is much calm and clarity to be found- when ego is absent.

    I agree that we as humans have great potential to love , and be completely fulfilled in the moment. This 'being in the moment' or heart state as I call it, is something I am consistently reminded of and guided to, by my children, and by nature.

    If you are in the heart state, there is no need to worry about an unpaid bill, or self image, or what we are having for dinner- when my mind stars to wonder into the realms of the egoic mind, I do try to bring myself back. It is challenging though, but it's good to practice.

    Deep sweet thanks to you MJ, and sorry I haven't been around lately :)

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  19. Lovely words....
    I too struggle and she's a slimy little thing this ego of mine.... she comes out even when I don't know it ~ by then it's too late and then I will need to reread this post ;)

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  20. Beautiful..
    "Our potential as humans is enormous, but not by what we do, what we can become, or what we've invented or created. It is by our capacity to love, enjoy and be enthusiastic about what is happening at this very moment."
    but what if those thingsthat are happening in that moment are dark and unbareable.. and bear a pain so deep they scar the soul. How do we seperate from the soul pain and the grip of our Ego ? The why is this happenening ?
    xx

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  21. Isla, I would reply to you personally, but can't find an email. I believe that most pain that we hang onto, is directly due to Ego. If we are grieving a loss, there is a natural process to grieve that loss and that is one thing. Otherwise pain, recurring emotional pain, whether it's related to resentment, anger, fear etc. is linked to thought patterns we are hanging on to. Most of the time we are ruminating on something that happened to us in the past. No matter how justified that anger may be, the longer we hold onto it, the further we dive into ego and lose our selves, and detach ourselves from the present moment. I could write more, but please email me if you'de like :). Peace to you...
    xo

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  22. This is a wonderful read: how much I enjoy coming here and seeing your words!!!

    xoxo,
    Allison

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  23. Yes! Yes! Thank you so much; you are incredibly wise.
    xoxo,
    Ang

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  24. Oh Eckhart Tolle, you have saved my life before.
    Can I say, in LOVE with your new banner. Wow! :-)

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  25. I think I could have that Tolle quote tattooed upon my left arm for permanent remindings.

    Thank you lady. These were the perfect words to start this day meditating on.

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw