It's so important, I want to say it again. You are not your ego. Your ego is a construct, the connection between the conscious and unconscious. We created it. It is a wonderful tool when you are in danger, but it is not that beautiful version of you. It's role is to keep you safe. Safe = comfortable = doing what you've always done.
Part of the ego is the inner critic, whose words are loud and noisy, so loud that you aren't able to hear the whispers of the true you. The you, that isn't afraid to be seen, to grow, to change.
How do you know when you are in the ego? When we feel tension or strong emotion and are displaying one of these behaviours, then we are acting from the ego (see these simple examples. We are often displaying multiple versions of these).
- Blame - 'the dog ate my homework.'
- Denial - 'I didn't do it'
- Judgement -
- Deflection - Changing the conversation.
- Distortion - seeing something different than the truth.
- Comparison - 'But Jane isn't as good as me, why should she...'
- Defence - 'There is no way I would do that.'