Category: Wisdom + Discernment

What Is The Ego?

The ego, also known as the conscious self, is the center of our conscious awareness and is responsible for our sense of identity, self-perception, and personal experiences.

It is the aspect of the psyche that is most in touch with reality and is developed through our interactions with the external world.

The ego helps us navigate and adapt to the demands of the external world and helps us maintain a sense of control and stability.

Why Does The Ego Seek Control?

The ego seeks control as a way of maintaining a sense of stability and security in one’s life.

By having control over one’s surroundings and relationships, the ego feels a sense of power and protection from the unknown and unpredictable aspects of life.

It also seeks control as a way of maintaining a positive self-image and avoiding facing uncomfortable truths held within the shadow.

The Solution Is Shadow Integration

The solution is for individuals to become aware of their ego’s need for control and to actively work on letting go of this need.

This can be done through practices such as mindfulness, self-reflection, and embracing vulnerability and uncertainty.

It also involves recognizing and integrating the shadow aspects of oneself, which can help reduce the need for control and foster a sense of inner peace and authenticity.

Practical Steps You Can Take:

Practice Mindfullness

Set aside time each day to focus on the present moment and observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment.

Self-reflection

BEGIN journaling or start therapy to explore and understand your own patterns and motivations related to control.

Embrace Vulnerability

Take risks and become willing to be more open to new experiences, even if they may not go as planned.

Integrate Shadow

Acknowledge and Accept your mistakes and flaws, while working towards self-compassion and growth.

Terminology

Control: 
... the power or authority to direct, regulate, or manage someone in order to achieve the controller's desired outcome...

Desire: 
... a strong feeling or craving for something, whether it be a want, need, aspiration, or longing..

Ego: 
... a person's sense of self-importance or self-esteem. 
... an individual's self-perception and the need to maintain a positive image of oneself.  
... plays a role in regulating one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, often leading to self-centeredness...

Hypocrisy: 
... derived from the Greek word "hypokrisis".
... meaning: acting or playing a part on a stage.
... the pretense of virtue or goodness while concealing one's true intentions or actions.

Truth is the pillar on which relationships are built, fostering transparency and understanding.

Embracing truth leads to authenticity in our actions and words, creating a space for meaningful connections.

The pursuit of truth requires introspection and courage to face uncomfortable realities but paves way for personal growth and enlightenment at all levels.

Living in alignment with the truths we discover empowers us to navigate life’s complexities with wisdom and integrity.

Whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives and welcomes one child like this in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:3‭-‬6

Lord , my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent]. O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever.

Psalms 131:1‭-‬3

In a world where emotional depth is often shunned, those who are emotionally numb find solace in avoiding the depths of feeling.

They’ve learned, perhaps through societal pressures or personal experiences, to sidestep the discomfort of negative emotions, seeking only the warmth of happiness and joy.

Yet, this Light, this divine illumination, doesn’t discriminate; it sheds light on all aspects of our reality, including those parts we’d rather keep in shadow.

The Revelation of Truth

The Light reveals a personal truth to each of us, one that is uniquely our own.

This truth, when truly seen, acts as a mirror, reflecting back not just our own flaws but our capacity for empathy and understanding.

Once this revelation occurs, the act of condemning others becomes less about judgment and more about a desire for universal healing.

We begin to see the shared human condition not as a cause for separation but as a bridge for connection.

Beautiful Human Anguish

There is a profound beauty in human anguish, not in the pain itself, but in the revelation it brings.

When we dare to look into the abyss of another’s suffering, we momentarily connect with ultimate truths about existence — truths that transcend the limits of language and logic.

This glimpse into the soul’s depth reveals its dual nature: both

—beautiful in its capacity for love

&

—broken in its susceptibility to despair.

Empathetic Understanding

The wisdom of empathy is unlike any other.

It’s a knowledge that can only be comprehended by those who have experienced heartbreak or have shared tears with those they barely know.

This understanding is deeper than any textbook learning because it’s born from the heart, from the very essence of human connection.

When we share in another’s sorrow, we touch the universal truths that bind us all — the collective experience of suffering and the potential for light in even the darkest times.

A Cautionary Note

One must be vigilant not to become an instrument of pain, for the consequences are dire.

To be a vessel through which God’s wrath is displayed, akin to Judas in the annals of betrayal, is a fate one should earnestly avoid.

Instead, let us strive to be conduits of healing, understanding, and light, embracing the full spectrum of human emotion in a quest for joint redemption and expansion.

The shadows of this world are perceived as light by the five senses of humanity’s fallen nature. It is only when the Holy Spirit rises that intuition awakens, and the ability to truly see becomes possible.

Jesus:

“If the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

– Matthew 6:22-23

Darkness is inherently dark, but when the inner light is actually darkness and lacks intuition, that illuminated aspect becomes obscured. It blinds you, enveloping you in pitch black darkness, where there appears to be no glimmer of hope or potential resolution.

Claiming to have His Spirit, believers often rely on their five senses to perceive Him, crafting an image in their own minds that mirrors their own likeness. However, the true reality, the unadulterated Truth that casts the shadows, eludes their grasp.

The genuine Light remains concealed, beyond their sense perception until the Holy Spirit allows them to See.

With such lack of intuition, their hatred for the truth grows, leading them to direct that hatred towards those who speak the truth.

Through Intuitive vision, when the veil is lifted, the false light hidden in the shadows becomes apparent as mere illusion.

We who’ve been gifted Vision, discover the authentic Light amidst the artificial glow, persistently ascending.

At the pinnacle of the mountain, one can genuinely comprehend the essence of God, which resides within.

Jesus’ demise was His triumph.

To see this, we must look beyond the darkness that surrounded His death. We must intuitively transcend our limited perceptions and not rely on artificial measures of light, as the blind do.

As the Scriptures teach; Jesus’ death was like a grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died, but ultimately bore much fruit.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Intuition:

a cognitive process that allows individuals to acquire knowledge or understanding instantaneously, without the need for conscious reasoning or logical analysis.

Through intuition, we discover the dwelling place of God’s Spirit and transcend limited sensual perception.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Matthew 5:14

We realize we can trust intuition, this is God:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

Isaiah 30:21

Human senses need to be trained for battle in order to distinguish good from evil, as our senses alone are useless.

Your Understanding Is Futile

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 – “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

Romans 8:14 – “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

As the mind delves deeper into the abyss of seclusion, the subconscious begins to decompose like a rotting corpse.

The passage of months transcends into years, and the irreversible damage inflicted upon the body and mind leaves one imprisoned within a waking nightmare of torment, both physically and mentally.

Isolation morphs into a claustrophobic cell, and the sole means of escape lies in the descent into madness, as the mind twists and distorts itself into a grotesque mockery of its previous existence.

It is within this madness that true genius is unearthed.

“Madness is the result not of uncertainty but of certainty.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“Isolation is the necessary prelude to genius.” – Robert Greene

“The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind.” – Nikola Tesla