If you haven’t yet, check out Ep. 014 - Le'go My Ego!
Remember, acknowledging the unsavory traits in ourselves is the biggest step to self-improvement. As promised, here is how I stacked up from the list in today’s episode. I’ve had a run in on numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6. Full disclosure, these are things that I dealt with and conquered 10-15 years ago. However, sometimes these pesky attitudes will try to creep back in my life every once in a while, on a minor scale. So, it’s good to be reminded of what I need to polish up on.
- Do you always have to be right?
Out of my insecurity, I used to be overly opinionated. It was more like a rebelliousness against my family (and against myself) as I came into adulthood. I had such low self-esteem and struggled in self-confidence, so I built up a fake ego as a means to appear more knowledgeable than I really was. Over time, I would gain more knowledge however, I am much more comfortable with the fact that I still don’t know many things. But I’m willing to learn as much as I can.
- Do you feel entitled?
Unfortunately, the church I used to attend preached on the principle that we, as Christians, have preferential treatment. I took this to view myself as being better than anyone who wasn’t like me (which was wrong on so many levels). I wouldn’t even verbalize it. I just walked around thinking and seeing myself as entitled. Changing my thoughts by taking control of them allowed me to re-evaluate the wrong and unfair view of myself that I had adopted. No one person is better than anyone else. Ugh, that was gross! So glad to be rid of that one!
- Do other people’s successes make you unhappy?
I definitely fell into this trap. I used to compare what others had versus me. If someone had good news about something I wish I had, it was hard for me to be happy about it on the inside. By refocusing my thoughts on what I have and being grateful, concentrating on how wonderful it is that I have what I do, and imagining how life wouldn’t be the same without those things or people, I was able to turn my self-pity to appreciation.
- Do you gossip?
I used to do this too. I wouldn’t say I did it in an egotistical way. I did it more as a way to be perceived as a person who had a voice. The insecurity was that I didn’t feel that I had a voice so, saying anything would do, even if that meant talking about someone else’s business just to have something to say. The way I stopped that one was my own self guilt. I felt horrible afterward and knew I just needed to stop so I eventually did.
So, there. I’ve unleashed some of my dirty laundry just for you. Just to share that we all deal with thoughts and emotions that are not always pretty. But as long as you are willing to evaluate yourself, and be honest with yourself, you can overcome these unpleasant qualities and live a more valuable life.
Until next time, carry on.
Photo by Nadine Wuchenauer from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/oval-brown-wooden-framed-hanging-mirror-1528975/
