If you’ve ever watched the news or caught a glimpse of your social media feed, then you know that the world is full of ugliness. There’s an endless stream of stories about bad people doing bad things, and it can be tempting to use that as an excuse to give up on humanity altogether. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t have to be that way.
There is good in this world and we can find it if we look hard enough. You may have heard me say this before, but I’m going to say it again because it’s important: Your ego will try its best to convince you otherwise — especially if you’re anything like me.
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The trivia questions about yourself can motivate you to keep searching for the answers. You can start by asking yourself these questions: Who am I? What do I want? Where do I belong? How can I be of service in this world?
1. Be honest with yourself
The first step toward keeping your ego in check is to be honest about whether or not it’s an issue. If someone is complaining about a coworker who wasn’t helping them out, ask yourself:
“Is this person’s behavior really selfish?”
They might just be a busy person who doesn’t want to take on more work than necessary. There are many ways that people can behave selfishly at work, and it’s often easy to over-analyze other people’s actions and assume that every last thing they do has an ulterior motive attached to it (even if you don’t mean it).
This is why being honest with yourself is so important: if you’re being selfless, then great.
But if there are times when you need help or advice from other people and feel like your ego may prevent you from asking them for help?
Then maybe now would be a good time for some introspection about how much control we really have over ourselves.
2. Listen to your body
Your body is a good indicator of what you need. If you’re feeling tired, then it can help to slow down and give yourself some rest.
The same goes for if your body is telling you that it needs more exercise or food, listen. It’s not always easy to hear this advice from within but with practice, I have found that listening has helped me take better care of myself and understand when my ego is taking over.
The next time a thought pops in that says “I can do this” remind yourself:
“Is this really true? Am I doing everything I need physically? Emotionally?” If the answer is no, then maybe its time for a break.
3. Focus on what you can control
You can only control the present, so focus on it. Don’t worry about things you can’t control, and don’t spend time worrying about things that have already happened. Let go of your past and don’t focus on the future; it’s out of your hands anyway.
Instead of focusing on things outside yourself, turn inward and begin to look at yourself instead. This is where growth begins: by accepting who you are in this moment and working from there rather than waiting for something to happen first before moving forward toward change.
4. Use your ego as a fuel
You can use your ego as fuel to help motivate you when it comes to achieving your goals. When you feel like skipping the gym, use your ego as a weapon against yourself.
Tell yourself that if you don’t go and exercise, then everyone will see through your lies about being in shape and not be impressed by them anymore.
Another great way of using your ego is when it comes time for pushing through during tough times.
If you are tired but need to do something important, let the prospect of losing respect from others give you motivation enough to keep going even when it seems impossible.
Your ego may try to take over your life, but you can stay in control
It can be used to motivate you, help you achieve your goals and dreams, and overcome obstacles in your path. It’s a natural part of the human experience and it isn’t something that needs to be suppressed or gotten rid of completely.
But when the ego becomes too powerful and takes over your life, it can cause problems for you, it can lead to insecurity, self-doubt, fear of failure, and even depression. In these moments when the ego takes over; there are ways that you can stop it from taking control or at least minimize its influence on your life:
Conclusion
We all want to be the best we can be and be proud of ourselves. The first step in doing this is knowing our ego is trying to take over. When we’re honest with ourselves, listen to our bodies, focus on what we can control, and use our egos as fuel, then we have a better chance of keeping it under control.