Everyone knows the basics of being healthy. Eat right, get plenty of sleep and exercise, and you will be in the right direction toward a life of wellbeing. At the same time, there is a missing ingredient which is causing millions to suffer diseases of the mind and emotions, which definitely has a negative effect on physical health as well.
Names, this missing piece is about pursuing and maintaining a healthy ego. The truth of the matter is that skipping over the ego is a huge missing piece of the puzzle for millions across the world to obtain the ultimate health and happiness.
Your ego is an important part of your system and it does get ill. Unfortunately, you will rarely hear your medical doctor, of even mental health practitioner utter words such as, “Well, my dear, your ego may be a bit out of whack”.
It is left up to each of us to consider what a healthy ego is. In this sense, we can consider the ego as it pertains to deeply rooted, un-examined mental programs and habits. These have been conditioned through our past experiences going as far back as birth. They also motivate our behavior, and primarily, our of fear of suffering or loss.
Now, there are other ways to look at the ego. There is the “no ego” of mindfulness, and a deflated ego. “No ego” pertains to the removal of the false self that you present to yourself and the world. A deflated ego means that you may live in a weakened state that leaves you feeling helpless and victimized by the world. On the other hand, an over-inflated ego creates another set of issues that will block you from a life of fulfillment and satisfaction.
Am I digressing? …
In a nutshell: The ego motivates our behaviors. When the ego is unhealthy, our behaviors will not be healthy.
The quandary is that you may not even realize your ego is ill to begin with. But how do you know?
Here is a quick list of hints:
If you think your ego could use some healthy conditioning, you may want to check out my book, “The Ego Project”.