There Is More To You Than Your Ego

Generally speaking, there are three parts that make up the human being’s existence: the mind, the body and the spirit. The mind is your consciousness, your ego; it is all the thoughts and experiences that allow you to know that you exist. The body, on the other hand is the vessel in which your mind exists; it allows you to function in this physical world of ours.

Lastly, and possibly most importantly, we have what I like to call the spirit. The spirit is that elusive force that flows through all of us and gives purpose to our lives. Putting all of this into more modern terms you can think of the body as hardware, the mind as software and the spirit as the electrical current powering the whole contraption. We are basically all walking and talking, spiritual super-computers.

One of the main issues, specifically in modern civilization, is that man has a tendency to solely identify himself with his ego a.k.a. the “I”. Doing so suggests that you only identify yourself with your thoughts and don’t live through your other two forms of existence.  The French philosopher Descartes was most famously known for being the first to fully identify himself with his thoughts stating, “I think, therefore I am”.  Poor bastard. He completely missed out on the full meaning of life.

Don’t get me wrong. The ego is essential to living.  Without the ego we would not be able to distinguish ourselves from anyone else.  In fact, without the mind we would not be able to process any sensory information taken in by the body, we would not be able to process any thoughts and we would not know that we exist.  But our existence consists of more than just our thoughts.

If the only purpose of life were to think then we would be minds floating about on a metaphysical plain instead of physical creatures with the ability to experience sensations that, only after a few drinks, “blow our minds”.  For those that didn’t catch the reference, I was referring to sex.

Of course there are more pleasures to be experienced through the body then just orgasm. Maybe not too many that are better… but there are others.  None seem to come to mind right now, but you get the point: the body is important because it allows us to feel good.  It allows us to feel anything at all. Could you imagine living only with your thoughts alone and without any physical pleasures? That would be awful.  Yet many people in our modern, technologically advanced times are attempting to do just that.

The key to living a full and interesting life is to live through the body and the mind. Some of you may be thinking “But that is exactly what I have been doing. I have been reading, watching movies and thinking, all the time.  I also keep busy working, exercising and partying, but I still feel like something is missing”.  You’re right.

Something is missing: the spirit.

The truth is, you are the SELF, the whole being, the combination of all three parts, and in order to become one, all three parts must somehow become interconnected and work together as a whole. You are not your thoughts, you are not your feelings and you are not your actions. All of these things are a manifestation of the ego.

The ego is a very powerful thing. It is so powerful that the thoughts that it creates and processes directly affect the person’s actions. Sure, this is common sense. You think about what you would like to do and you do it. But are you always fully in control of your actions?

Being in control requires more than simple thought. Thoughts have a tendency to build up and cloud the essence of who you really are. The self is part of a higher consciousness that allows everything to exist.

It is the spirit in which all things live through - the energy that runs the ego - the energy that allows the body to function. How is it possible for the ego to claim its supremacy when its source of life is the spiritual-self?

Getting in touch with the spiritual-self is truly the key. Doing so is not easy; it requires work and patience.  It requires the ability to slow down your ego and let it relax. The ego tends to be very high-strung and overworked.

Drinking all those coffees and Redbulls won’t just give you a heart attack but will cause the ego to have a meltdown. Once you can allow your spirit to mingle with your ego, the body will happily join in for a full out ménage à trois. This sort of release will far surpass any you picked up at a bar. 

Disassociating yourself from your thoughts, feelings, and ego allows you to remain true to yourself in times of difficulty. This is the key many spiritual gurus around the world know. They know true peace and tranquility is only found when the ego is on the backburner. This is the reason why many people pick up meditation as a way to clear their minds.

Practice taking a step back when times get tough in order to separate yourself from your thoughts and emotions. Become an observer of all things that are being experienced and you will notice how an experience can transform into something greater than what it originally was.

Remember, you are not a slave to your ego, you are its master. Make the ego work for you by observing it from a higher perspective and use it to create your very own reality, the exact reality that you always dreamt of.

Angelo John Gage | Elite.