THE “EGO” VERSUS THE “THE SOUL” (Achieving harmony and balance in our lives)

 

THE “EGO” VERSUS THE “THE SOUL”

The ego is founded on identification with our body and mind. The ego always feels dissatisfied and insufficient; it comes from a place of lack, fear and limitation, and constantly seeks satisfaction, external rewards and control. The ego wants to always be “right”, in control, and judges everything by comparing itself and competing with others (the grass is always greener somewhere else).

The EGO is the image we have of ourselves, body-mind self, our social mask, the face we put on for the world. It is how we define ourselves by what “we do” and what “we have”: possessions, attributes, titles, roles (such as parent, sibling, friend, co-worker, job type). It’s about all the temporal elements that can change with life’s circumstances (we can lose our jobs, health, beauty, material possessions, etc.)

When the ego is predominant we can hear ourselves  thinking over and over, going over  insignificant details, worrying, experiencing doubt and self critical thoughts, fear and anxiety. When we put ourselves down ( “I’m not good/ smart/ beautiful enough”). We seek validation from others, and our worth is dependent on exterior things such as our   material possessions (clothes, cars, houses) , our professions- jobs, or titles, or attributes (beauty, youth, intelligence).

Our SOUL is our true self and true essence. Transcendent, unchangeable, permanent, our true divine connection to the Source of unconditional love, courage and wisdom.

This connection is clear when we hear our inner voice, feel our intuition or guidance from our hearts. It is when we are “at the right time and in the right place”, and everything is flowing effortlessly with synchronicities, amazing coincidences that guide us to the answers we seek, or the things we need at the moment. We feel connected with others, with the environment, and everything around us. We feel inspired, and we experience inner joy, freedom, creativity, gratitude and love.

Here are some examples:

THE “EGO” VERSUS THE “THE SOUL”:

We need both, the ego and our true self to live in this physical realm. However, when there is a conflict between the ego and the soul, we experience anxiety, depression, and disillusionment.

Mental, physical and spiritual health depends on finding a balance between the ego- mind and the soul-self to establish a harmonious relationship.

When we recognize the conflict  between the soul and the ego-mind we need to do some inner & conscious work to create alignment and harmony. The goal is to nourish the connection with your true or Higher Self. We can do this by doing more of the things we love, it can be anything that ignites our true passion and brings us true joy.  Those activities that make us  “loose track of time”  such as: painting, listening to music, cooking, gardening, going for walks in nature, singing, reading, dancing, writing, playing, laughing,  etc.

Other ways in which we can strengthen our connection to our Higher Self or inner guidance are:  meditation, contemplation, prayer, spending time in nature, deep breathing, journaling, being grateful by appreciating the small things in our lives,  increasing our awareness by practicing mindfulness and being present in the moment. Practicing authenticity and integrity, trusting our hearts and inner guidance, as well as following our dreams, (instead of other people’s opinions or imposed external values), will help us to deepen that connection, and consequently; our lives will be more beautiful, peaceful, balanced, fulfilled and joyful.

Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

References:

http://notesonbliss.com/differences-between-your-soul-and-your-ego/