The Journey to Discover Oneself
We come into this world with nothing and depart with nothing. The possessions we accumulate during our lifetime, physically, phychologically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally are all mere confirmations of living. They satisfy the ego saing that everything is well. So, when we are accumulating, the egon equates that with comfort. If we were to lose ground in any of these areas, which the ego sees as loss, doscomfort or threat, then the ego equates that with death.
Therefore, ego is a useful thing to meet the physical needs of life. However, trouble starts when ego perceives threats that are emotional, psychological or mental in nature. To the ego on the physical plane, comfort means life; anything that threatens is death. On the emotional, psychological and mental levels, we are free to make our own intelligent decisions. By not exercising that free will, we leave the decision to the ego, which will operate on instince, depending whether it is life-giving, or life-threatening.
When someone overtakes your car, you get upset, even fly into a rage, race ahead and commit an accident. That is not the real you, but your primitive part called the ego. This type of thing happens again and again when you react to situations instead of responding to them. If we look at the animal world, it happens the same way. If a deer is chased by a lion, its instinct is to not to run and escape but turn around and go back to where it was before. In the process, it gets killed and meets its death.
When we neglect to use our freedom of choice and intelligently respond to the changes of life that confront us, we also act in the same way. So, when opportunity arises and since opportunities involve risk, we automatically feel discomfort. Our tendency is to search for safety, because risk may mean death. Our tendency is to continue life the way it was before. But, if we take risk, anxiety begins to b uild. It results in fear, fear of the unknown, fear of loss, which may lead to death. Without focused thinking, fear forces us to remain status quo, “That is why success is not comfortable for those who have not achieved it.” As an example, suppose your boss says that your services are no longer required because of retrenchment and you don’t have the seniority to make any claim. Then fear sets in, meaning that you are jobless. It does not occur to you that you can utilize your talents elsewhere. You can open the newspaper which is full of employment opportunities but you are concerned with the old pattern of life and do not want to start a new adventure.
May be, the loss of your job may be a golden opportunity to start your own business or get a job abroad. The fact is that if you respond positively, you can change your life. That is why the saying, “Do not follow where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” (Emerson). There was a man who suddenly lost his job sank into depression, when suddenly he received a call from his friend in the Gulf unexpectedly who was enquiring about his welfare. When he described his status, the friend called him to the gulf and landed him in a job much better than the previous one.
Remember that Nepolean lifted himself from a lowly corporal to the Emperor of France. Through the same principle Thomas A Edison rose from a lowly beginning of a newspaper distributor to the status of a leading inventor of the world. Through the same principal Abraham Lincoln from low beginning in alog cabin in the mountains of Kentucky became the President of America. Through the same principle MK Gandhi from a mere lawyer in South Africa, became the Mahatma liberating millions from the shackles of slavery. Through the same principle Abdul Kalam who was distributing newspapers in Rameshwaram became an eminent scientist and became the Rashtrapati of India. Anything can happen if you only wake up and try!
No undesirable or adverse environment is strong enough to hold you down. You can throw off proverty and rise to a level of Power and plenty. When a determined person keeps his head high, cuts through the crowd, others give way, cheer him and declare him as the hero. Disappointment, discontent and disorder are signs of energy and hope, not of despair. Just trust yourself and you will find the way. Love yourself and everything will fall into place. The biggest disease is not cancer or leprosy but the feeling of being unwanted and defeated. Then why not succeed?
Therefore, ego is a useful thing to meet the physical needs of life. However, trouble starts when ego perceives threats that are emotional, psychological or mental in nature. To the ego on the physical plane, comfort means life; anything that threatens is death. On the emotional, psychological and mental levels, we are free to make our own intelligent decisions. By not exercising that free will, we leave the decision to the ego, which will operate on instince, depending whether it is life-giving, or life-threatening.
When someone overtakes your car, you get upset, even fly into a rage, race ahead and commit an accident. That is not the real you, but your primitive part called the ego. This type of thing happens again and again when you react to situations instead of responding to them. If we look at the animal world, it happens the same way. If a deer is chased by a lion, its instinct is to not to run and escape but turn around and go back to where it was before. In the process, it gets killed and meets its death.
When we neglect to use our freedom of choice and intelligently respond to the changes of life that confront us, we also act in the same way. So, when opportunity arises and since opportunities involve risk, we automatically feel discomfort. Our tendency is to search for safety, because risk may mean death. Our tendency is to continue life the way it was before. But, if we take risk, anxiety begins to b uild. It results in fear, fear of the unknown, fear of loss, which may lead to death. Without focused thinking, fear forces us to remain status quo, “That is why success is not comfortable for those who have not achieved it.” As an example, suppose your boss says that your services are no longer required because of retrenchment and you don’t have the seniority to make any claim. Then fear sets in, meaning that you are jobless. It does not occur to you that you can utilize your talents elsewhere. You can open the newspaper which is full of employment opportunities but you are concerned with the old pattern of life and do not want to start a new adventure.
May be, the loss of your job may be a golden opportunity to start your own business or get a job abroad. The fact is that if you respond positively, you can change your life. That is why the saying, “Do not follow where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” (Emerson). There was a man who suddenly lost his job sank into depression, when suddenly he received a call from his friend in the Gulf unexpectedly who was enquiring about his welfare. When he described his status, the friend called him to the gulf and landed him in a job much better than the previous one.
Remember that Nepolean lifted himself from a lowly corporal to the Emperor of France. Through the same principle Thomas A Edison rose from a lowly beginning of a newspaper distributor to the status of a leading inventor of the world. Through the same principal Abraham Lincoln from low beginning in alog cabin in the mountains of Kentucky became the President of America. Through the same principle MK Gandhi from a mere lawyer in South Africa, became the Mahatma liberating millions from the shackles of slavery. Through the same principle Abdul Kalam who was distributing newspapers in Rameshwaram became an eminent scientist and became the Rashtrapati of India. Anything can happen if you only wake up and try!
No undesirable or adverse environment is strong enough to hold you down. You can throw off proverty and rise to a level of Power and plenty. When a determined person keeps his head high, cuts through the crowd, others give way, cheer him and declare him as the hero. Disappointment, discontent and disorder are signs of energy and hope, not of despair. Just trust yourself and you will find the way. Love yourself and everything will fall into place. The biggest disease is not cancer or leprosy but the feeling of being unwanted and defeated. Then why not succeed?
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