During the last few days, I have spent a substantial amount of time asking myself, “Are you taking yourself too seriously?” In most cases, the answer is yes. When things don’t go the way they should or the way I think that they should, my normal reaction is frustration. This is usually a result of being driven by the calculating self instead of the central self. This weeks reading has sharpened my awareness of internal motivation.
In many ways the reading from The Art of Possibility mirrors concepts delivered in Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. Instead of calculating self, Eckhart uses the term ego. Realizing when this aspect of personality is at work is a major step in redirecting thought patterns. The calculating self, or ego, is really just a survival mechanism that loses its purpose in adulthood and serves to hinder relationships.
In many ways the reading from The Art of Possibility mirrors concepts delivered in Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. Instead of calculating self, Eckhart uses the term ego. Realizing when this aspect of personality is at work is a major step in redirecting thought patterns. The calculating self, or ego, is really just a survival mechanism that loses its purpose in adulthood and serves to hinder relationships.
These steps are not easy but reading them again has helped me to refocus on awareness and presence. Breaking habits in behavior and in thought is a challenging endeavor but is the only way for me to evolve as an individual.
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| Photo by Melissa Lodhi |
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI applaud your connection with the calculating self and the ego. You are right that they served a purpose in our youth, but as an adult they tend to get in the way when we take them to seriously. I think it is human nature to not like it when things don’t go our way or don’t end up the way we think that they should. I too, am trying to break those habits in behavior by making myself aware of the now and how things really are. I think this is something that I will need to continually work on because it is so easy to forget and slip back into old habits. Here’s to keeping to how things really are, not taking ourselves to seriously and to new possibilities!
I think that I have a Kindle version of Eckhart that I should read. His work gets references so frequently in connection with the Art of Possibility. Good thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your viewpoint, Melissa. I hope from now on when I feel that frustration rising I can remember to invoke rule number 6, especially with kindergarten. If their expected behavior doesn't include a temper tantrum, I imagine the teacher's couldn't either.
ReplyDeleteMelissa,
ReplyDeleteI agree that breaking learned behaviors is most difficult. I often have to remind myself when I’m acting irrationally and this book has given me insight into why I behave the way I do at times. I’ve always seen it framed in the context of our “reptile” brains acting on instinct. Our primitive ego getting in the way of rational thought. It’s easy for me to draw a parallel between this survival mechanism and the one’s we use to survive childhood. I too need to look at myself and evaluate whether or not I’m taking myself to seriously at any given moment. It’s going to take a great amount of self-awareness.