Recognizing the Ego Trap

"If you live in the present, there is no time, and there can be no ego."

Symptoms of the Ego

How do you know if you are being misled by your ego? You know you’re being miseld by your ego when you’re not feeling at peace. It’s as simple as that.

Being trapped in the ego is stressful. We may be so accustomed to it that this may be our “normal” way of being. But when we start questioning the status quo, we discover that perhaps there is an alternative out there for us, a place where peace and love can abide.

Here are some of my most common ego-driven mindsets. This may be helpful in recognizing some of your own ego-driven mindsets:

• Reminiscing about something I said earlier to someone, worried about how it was received and what they think of me (did I say something foolish?)
• Worrying about an event yet to come (which, in all likelyhood, will probably not happen in the way I had imagined it anyway)
• Obsessive planning
• Being caught up in what I should learn next and what projects I should dive into
• Mindless shopping (jumping from one need to the next)
• Regret about something I said or did
• Fear of what others are thinking of me
• Thinking I should be more “like this” and less “like that”
• Thinking this person is better than me or that I should be more like him or her
• Comparing myself to others
• Judging and finding faults in others.

What to do when you catch yourself

If you recognize any of these mindsets, or any one of your own, don’t forget the most important thing: there is no point in feeling guilty and beating yourself up for it. Remember that, just like we try to be nice and understanding to our friends, we should be nice and understanding with ourselves, too. In reality, we should be our own “best friends”, and we should love ourselves just as much as anyone else.

The most useful thing when catching yourself caught up in those mindsets is to simply recognize them for what they are. Also, notice the physical sensations that they bring about in your body. Is your heart racing? Is your chess tight? Are you taking short and shallow breaths? Are your shoulders tensed? Is your stomach cramped?

Notice all of these things without judgement. Be the passive observer. Do not try to reason, to condem or explain. Just recognize and be present with the feelings in your body. Whatever is happening, accept it. This helps brings about a sense of presence and calm.

Over time, and with practice, these mindsets will slowly become obvious to you and their grasps will lessen. You cannot free yourself until you see the bars in front of you.