Deb's Newsletter
Got Ego? |
March 24th, 2008 |
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EMPOWER YOURSELF Got Ego? “Some people never forget the first time they disidentified from their thoughts and thus briefly experienced the shift in identity from being the content of their mind to being the awareness in the background. For others it happens in such a subtle way they hardly notice it, or they just notice an influx of joy or inner peace without knowing the reason.” Eckhart Tolle Recently, I have done something quite different – even for me. It has taken courage, tenacity and a large chunk of time. Most challenging though has been to open my mind to new possibilities and the readiness to be awakened. I am taking Oprah and Eckhart Tolle’s 10 week “class” based on his book, “A New Earth. Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose”. The web casts, in which Oprah and Eckhart discuss each chapter of the book in detail, take place Monday nights for 90 minutes. Over three million people each week have either joined the web cast live, watched it through streaming video later in the week or have downloaded the classes on their iPod or MP3 players. The huge number of people joining the event confirms that as a community (the World), we are open to new thinking and continue our quest for purpose. But, are we really ready for a transformation of consciousness? Eckhart says, “This book’s main purpose is not to add new information or beliefs to your mind or try to convince you of anything, but to bring about a shift in consciousness, that is to say, awaken.” (p.6) He continues by saying, “This book is about you. It will change your state of consciousness or it will be meaningless. It can only awaken those who are ready.” (p.7) No truer words could have been written. I know a few people who have read one or two chapters of the book then quit, saying they “don’t get it”. However, in my case, I am “getting it”. In my profession, I encourage people to invest time in themselves. I do believe that this is one of the biggest gifts that we can give ourselves. Time to do, play, relax, learn, laugh, think, pray and just be. Time to really get to know ourselves. Time to be comfortable in our own skin. However, I don’t always practice what I preach. I’m “too busy”. I initially wanted to take this course in order to further my knowledge so that I would be able to assist clients better. I love learning different ways to help others achieve personal and professional growth and acceptance. Three hours a week (90 min. classes, 90 min. of reading), was going to be a huge commitment, but my clients were worth it. Well, after just completing chapter 3, I am no longer hiding behind “professional learning”. I am not hiding at all! In fact, I am so excited to tell you that “I HAVE EGO!” Apparently, plenty of it! I have been shocked to learn so much about myself in such a short period of time that I felt compelled to share it with you. Already, in 3 chapters, I am experiencing an awakening. Those of you that know me well know that I am not easily persuaded into anything, especially spiritual theories and philosophical teachings. In fact, I usually have fairly strong opinions and like to be “right”. Now I know, this is all ego! We all have one. It is that voice in your head and that compulsive thinking that never stops. Tolle explains further: “When every thought absorbs your attention completely, when you are so identified with the voice in your head and the emotions that accompany it that you lose yourself in every thought and emotion, then you are totally identified by form and therefore in the grip of ego. Ego is the conglomeration of recurring thought forms and conditioned mental –emotional patterns that are invested with a sense of I, a sense of self.” (p. 54) From the book, I am learning that nothing strengthens the ego more than being right. “Being right is the identification with a mental position - a perspective, an opinion, a judgement, a story.” (p. 67) For you to be right, someone else has to be wrong. Tolle says that we make others wrong in order to get a stronger sense of who we are. This has really resonated deep within me. I never thought that my always wanting to be right was tied in any way to ego. In fact, just the opposite. If I did know something and someone else did not, I felt compelled to share my knowledge. After all, I knew I was right. If someone was to challenge me on my knowledge, emotions would surface and defensiveness would get in the way. In reality, the truth needs no defense. So really, I was defending myself, not what I thought was “right”. For me, realizing this was a huge wake-up call! Now, take this “I am right and you are wrong” one step further from personal relationships to interactions between tribes, nations, religions, politics, etc. How many millions of people throughout history have “needed” to be killed because they were so wrong? The truth was more important than a human life. What was the truth? A story. An opinion. A bundle of thoughts. Becoming aware of your conditioned thought pattern is the beginning of awakening. You start to look at things differently. You start to look at yourself differently. You become increasingly aware of how you are treating others and why. I encourage everyone to read the book and / or watch the web casts. At least, check it out. Like Eckhart Tolle says, the book will be meaningless or it will change your life! The web casts can be viewed at oprah.com. This Month… Start thinking about: 1. What do I have to be right about? Why? What would you be giving up if you let this go? 2. Identify 3 things that are part of your conditioned thought pattern about yourself (i.e.: I need to share my knowledge, I am not smart enough, I am too good for some people, etc) Empower Yourself – Try This: Next time you know that you are right about something, stop, close your mouth and let the other person talk. SAY NOTHING!!! I know this is a hard one, but after a bit of practice, you will learn to appreciate someone else’s point of view and they will appreciate you valuing their opinion. No one has to be right or wrong. Good or bad. Think of what this could do for your relationships with your significant other, Mother, friend, boss, co-worker? Try it! What have you got to lose? If you have any comments or questions on this, please let me know. I would be interested to know how many others out there are taking this course. I hope that you enjoyed me sharing some of my “ah-ha” moments from the book with you. I have a feeling that this will not be the last time that I write on the wisdom of Eckhart Tolle’s book. Until next month, warm spring blessings to all, Deb Fortier |
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Past Newsletters:
July 10th, 2008 - Who Are You?
May 29th, 2008 - Want More?
May 1st, 2008 - Joy to The World
March 24th, 2008 - Got Ego?
February 27th, 2008 - Another Relationship?
More Past Newsletters