Saturday, August 27, 2011

Spiritual Life Coaching: Exercises for Ego Transcendence

By Jason Lincoln Jeffers


The following Spiritual Life Coaching exercises, if practiced regularly, can help you to become conscious of your ego, create a space between your egoic mind and your pure consciousness, and begin your path toward self transcendence:

When you find yourself desiring material things, consider it. Then ask yourself, "Do I really need this? Or do I want this because it bolsters my ego?" If the answer is the latter, then let the desire go.

When you find your inner dialogue comparing or contrasting another to your status in life, stop. Be still and watch what your ego is saying. Become a silent observer. Don't resist, just observe. Understand that this is your ego's need to feel either superior or inferior to others and nothing more. At the highest level, everyone is equal. No one is superior or inferior to you.

When your inner dialogue says negative things to you such as, "I'm not smart enough, good enough, or talented enough to do this or that," or, "It's the story of my life," or, "It's always something," stop. Be still and observe the ego silently from a detached, higher perspective. Know that this negative reinforcement is manifesting your own dismal reality and the reason that the problems keep coming back is because of this inner dialogue.

When you find your mind obsessing over a negative perception of your body such as your weight or looks, stop. Be still. Observe these thoughts from a detached perspective. Know that these obsessive thoughts are keeping you stuck in a state of dissatisfaction and that your ego distorts reality into a false self-perception. Your reality is consistently being recreated by this negative identification.

The next time someone tries to provoke you and start an argument with you, stop. Say nothing. Don't contribute to their emotional violence. Know that it is their ego that needs to feel superior to you. Act from the level of the heart and see through the veil. By not reacting to their need to win, you've already won. This is the power of free will.

When negative thoughts about another arises, do not linger in judgment. Remain still and centered in your heart. Then ask yourself: "Have I not displayed this same behavior at some time prior?"

Stop thinking about another when you first meet them. By taking thought out of the equation, you create a space that allows for non-judgment and openness between you and the other. Refrain from imposing your past experiences with others on to your new experiences with others. Begin every new experience in a pure place of non-thinking, peaceful presence.

Know that events alone are not enough to disturb people but rather their egoic reaction and judgment toward the events. When you find yourself in a state of discord, conflict, anger, or frustration, never hold anyone or anything but your own judgment accountable. An unenlightened person always blames the other for his or her own difficulties. To blame oneself is only the beginning of enlightenment. The enlightened master blames neither the Self nor the other.




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