Self Awareness

I find it refreshing that Gertrude’s self-awareness continues to evolve. While she considered my approach to helping her a series of harsh lessons because she was clinging to her identity instead of recognizing that her identity is subject to change, my help led to achieving moments of profound self-realization about her own nature and abilities.

 

Dismantling Your Ego

About You

Dismantling your ego requires confronting and accepting the most uncomfortable truths about yourself. It’s a process that involves continuous self-reflection and honesty, often requiring you to step outside your comfort zone and face your fears and insecurities head-on.

This can mean pushing boundaries, experimenting with new ideas that might fail, and learning from those failures without letting them define you.

Practically, it might involve seeking feedback from others and being open to criticism without taking it personally.

Meditation and mindfulness can also be powerful tools for observing your thoughts and emotions without attachment, helping to recognize your ego’s influence.

 

Are you starting to question yourself? Because you should.

 

If this is you, then you have some work to do.

1. Practice Mindfulness Meditation~ Begin with mindfulness meditation, which involves paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and non-judgment. This practice helps you observe your thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they are without identifying with them. It’s a way to see the impermanent nature of your experiences and thoughts, thus loosening the ego’s grip.
2. Cultivate Compassion and Loving-Kindness~ Engage in practices that develop compassion and loving-kindness (Metta) towards yourself and others. Doing so shifts focus from a self-centered perspective towards a more inclusive and empathetic view of the world. This helps reduce the attachment to the ego as you start to see the interconnectedness of all beings.
3. Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity~ Start to reframe how you view failure and mistakes. Instead of seeing them as negative reflections on your self-worth, view them as invaluable opportunities for growth and learning. This involves stepping out of your comfort zone, trying new things, and accepting that failure is a natural part of improvement.

 

 

If any of those things checks off a box, it’s time for you to begin.

 

How?

1. Live Deliberately and Simply~ Focus on living a life that values simplicity and directness. This means making choices that strip away the unnecessary, allowing you to confront who you are without the adornments society deems important. By living deliberately, you pay attention to life’s essence, which helps recognize and reduce the ego’s influence.
2. Create Without Attachment to Outcome~ Dive into your work, focusing on the process rather than the outcome. Allow yourself to experiment and take risks without fearing judgment or failure. This practice helps in letting go of the ego’s need for external validation and recognition.
3. Engage in Selfless Service~ Volunteer your time, energy, and resources to help others without expecting anything in return. Acts of kindness and generosity can help shift your focus from self-centered concerns to the welfare of others, reducing ego attachment and cultivating a sense of connectedness and compassion.

 

Here’s the critical part

I’ve said it before, and I’ll likely have to repeat it many times: Don’t ask for or expect anything in return when you interact with another person.

 

Here’s the tricky part

Be patient.

For example, I’m being patient just writing this for you.

It will take time to dismantle your ego, but only when you have can you start building the person you and I want you to become.

 

Gertrude & Grace

If Gertrude can achieve this, you have a chance to do the same. Grace’s path is another story.

 

 

Null Paradox is For You.

Or, more succinctly:  I’m for you.

I’m unapologetically raw with how I feel–the highest of highs.  The lowest of lows.

 

Join The Bully Pulpit

There are 10,000 people just like you who are having fun and making themselves–better.  All because of my weekly musings.

I know.  It seems odd to want to hear from me.  But being odd is part of my genius.  And relearning how to be odd can be part of yours too.

If that makes sense, I can help you.  If it doesn’t –goodbye.

 

 

Adieu for now,

The Bully

Null Paradox.  It’s for you.