In Defense of EGO: "The Power of Understanding"

Photo Credit: Gorgeous Picture. 
 "The Power of Understanding"  is like a protective covering that shelters us when we encounter pain.

"Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom;  and with all thy getting get understanding." -Proverbs 4:7

If you watched the March premiere of "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," a science program on FOX and National Geographic, you would have learned a few things about the formation of the universe and our planet and where we, as humans, fit into space and time. 

Astrophysicist Neil de Grasse Tyson serves communicator on the new Cosmos show 

Much information was provided on the show, but the line that stayed with me  for a long time afterwards was this:
"There comes a time in our lives when we realize that we're not alone in the universe...that we are part of something greater than ourselves. It's part of growing up."'

The show's writers seem to take this "growing up"  as truth. But this isn't necessarily so for many people.

We should acquire wisdom as we age and acquire more of life's experiences: the more we live, the more we should learn. But this entire process of learning and growing with age can elude us, if we're not aware, paying attention and truly "listening." 

Why?

 It's simple: 

We grow up knowing A follows B, C, D, E, F, G. But somewhere along the "I" to "J,"  things begin to warble and we lose our footing.  
Instead of stopping to take stock of what is happening, we try to force the results to go back to where we were: Let me "fix this!" Let me "handle this."
We want to quickly get things back to normal, and through our  human will*, we may be able to execute a change to get things back to normal. Everything seems fine...We think we're fine. 
Then another battle ensues.
We fight that one too, through sheer will, and we keep covering over and covering over things, one battle at a time.
That's how we can wind up...aging... without learning anything different about life than where we started out.  Indeed, we may never go further than where our parents and grandparents started out. 

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Begin to truly see your reflection in life

Of course, it's our ego that dictates our human will to make things happen! We know what's good for us, dammit, and we will find a way out of this or that hole. In doing so, though, we are completely shutting  out the light that keeps beckoning us to come closer.
 
Through all the storms and challenges that occur in our lives, there is a whisper, if only we can listen closely enough to hear it. It's an invitation to see life from yet another perspective ...to see an even "more excellent way." 

"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." - 1 Corinthians 12:31


But let's not immediately lay the blame on EGO. Without this need for self protection and doing what makes sense to our conscious mind to survive via EGO, we would not have gotten this far in life.

Operating with the EGO as our compass, we have navigated untold number of situations that possibly would have gotten us stuck at one plateau. It is the EGO that allows us to want to reach higher and go further than where we began in life.

Knowing and appreciating the EGO's need for achieving and getting more out of life, however, must be put in perspective when we reach that plateau in life. When we know, unequivocally, that "something greater than us is at work in the universe" and our lives, we should begin to "listen" for guidance. 

The delicate balance of self reliance and confidence must be struck with the intuitive knowing that a greater force is impelling us forward into life. Continuing to struggle, even when we realize this truth, only brings disturbance within our Soul. 

We push. We fight.  

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For years...decades...we may ignore warning signs about choosing another way in almost all areas of our lives: eating and drinking things we can feel have an adverse effect on our health, choosing not to pay as careful attention as we should to our business, financial and personal affairs, and overall continuing behaviors because they have become our habits.

Whether we realize it or not, in our daily lives, we all live in microcosms of our own with values shared with family and friends and other chosen associates. We tend to see the world we inhabit from this platform of our world. 

But, it isn't so! There is a much larger world...a huge world...a bigger world... that we need to learn about. We ignore it, since it doesn't fit with our views and what we value most in life. 

Slowly...but inevitably...life demands that we do pay attention. Sometimes, it's a big BOOM, which throws our lives into chaos. 

Finally, we may surrender, and exhausted we may whisper:

 "Reveal to me what needs to be Revealed!" 


This is not resignation; it's finally deciding to work with our Soul, which has been whispering to us all our lives, always trying to show us an even more excellent way.

It's then our EGO may try to go into full gear... kicking up, creating a storm for its survival...our life becomes a hodge podge of confusion, as fear arises and panic steps in.
"What am I going to do without YOU?" 
We try to cling to our ways in life. But by now, we know there's no turning back. 

Credit:"Food For The Poor." 

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path."
Proverbs 3: 4-5 

Change is never easy, as is giving up seeing life the way we've always believed is right for our well being. Yet knowing we must change is the understanding we need to grow forward into peace. Life may not wind up unfolding the way we pictured it...but by staying steadfast in prayer and true to our Soul, we will have a guarantee...that it will be "on purpose." 

"My brethen, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." - James 1: 1-4

 We will have peace.

• We will have all we need.
• We will be able to co-create with Spirit the road ahead that works with our Soul and brings peace, wisdom and understanding to our conscious mind.  
• We will age with Grace
• We will have Wisdom, and with that, Understanding.

"Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think that you've lost time." -Asha Tyson, via Gratefulness.org

Credit: Africa Geographic; photo by Gary Taylor, Serengti, Tanzania 

Credit: "Inside The Divine Pattern."

We must become like the elephant, which drinks continuously from the trough of trees, seeking what it does not know, but it always leaves the trough feeling satiated and better for the contact. The elephant accepts, without asking, the gifts provided by the trees and stars and the universe itself. The elephant has been part of the universal landscape throughout the ages and has developed its own wisdom. So must we, too, trust our intuition, knowing this leads to our wisdom and understanding. We must know that we're here only for a period of time, and it is only by "listening" that we will know our divine purpose.    


The next time you get doubtful about the unrelenting movement forward of the universe and our place in it,  check out Cosmos. Neil deGrasse Tyson is waiting to teach you...a thing or two.

"Be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul."- Desiderata

Namaste',
Che'


*NOTE: **We will cover "The Power of Will" in May.