Having the ability to be the observer is a kind of superpower.
When you feel something like anger wake up within you, are you already acting from anger or do you observe how anger wakes up in your body, and do you become aware of how it wants you to act?
Because when you’re looking at the experience of anger as an observer then you have choice, you can choose to take the action that anger suggests or you can decide that there might be a more helpful response.
Anita Moorjani’s thoughts for us today speaks of our relationship to ego, and anger is just one of the examples of how we can experience ego.
“When we deny the ego, it will pop up, unannounced and uncontrolled in all sorts of situations. But if we embrace the ego as part of the reason we came into this life then it doesn’t need to keep surprising us by exploding at the most inopportune moments!” – Anita Moorjani
“If you deny your ego, it will push back against you harder. The more you reject something, the more it fights back for its own survival. But when you can completely love your ego unconditionally and accept it as part of how you express in this human body, you will no longer have a problem with it.” – Anita Moorjani
“The more I love myself and embrace my ego, realizing it’s a necessary part of being in the physical world, the easier it becomes for me to see myself beyond my ego and to become aware of my infinite self – that includes my ego yet transcends it at the same time.” – Anita Moorjani
“We choose to come here so we can experience a reality of separation – and an ego is absolutely necessary to feel this reality and to experience these feelings. Without an ego, we would be back to the state of non-duality, the state of oneness, of pure consciousness.” – Anita Moorjani
As a pure soul, Anita suggests, we don’t have an ego. Then when we are born, ego is something we get to experience as a part of having this body, almost like one of the senses that this body comes with.
And it reminds me of how Eckhart Tolle says that when you are able to observe the ego’s reaction, then you’re not being controlled by it but beginning to go beyond ego.
Today’s meditation is not specifically about ego but a really simple exercise in expanding our ability to be the observer. The more we practise taking a step back and observing our bodies’ physical responses, the better we also become at being the observer of our inner senses, thoughts and feelings and yes, ego.
Don’t go to war with ego, it’ll always fight back and you’ll never have peace. When being the observer of your emotions becomes your default way of being, then ego never has control – then actions come from your SOUL.
A few thoughts to help you embody the observer:
- Observe without judgement: Notice your thoughts and feelings without labelling them as good or bad.
- Accept the ego: Accept the ego as a part of yourself, but don’t let it have the drivers’ seat.
- Cultivate presence: Focus on what the present moment makes available to you.
- Choose your responses: Rather than reacting impulsively, take a moment to consider your options and choose a response that aligns with your values.
- Connect with your authentic self: Discover your true nature beyond the ego and live from a place of love and compassion.
The practice of observing is not just about understanding the ego; it is also about cultivating a sense of peace and presence. When we can observe our thoughts and feelings without judgement, we can find a sense of stillness and clarity within. This inner peace is the foundation for a more fulfilling and harmonious life.
Have an AWESOME Saturday peeps!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Come to your senses.