Ego's Temptation
Humanity has many shortcomings, but none are stronger than pride.
Source: Bear Town
At one of our stops in Denmark I went up to a gentleman and asked, “Have you heard of meditation? We’d love to teach you.” He said, “Couldn’t you do anything better with your life?” My ego flared. I wanted to say, “I’m not stupid. I’m smart! I graduated from a really good school! I could be making six figures. I didn’t have to do this—I chose it!” I really wanted to set this guy straight. Instead I said, “I hope you have a wonderful day. If you want to learn how to meditate, please come back.” I felt my ego respond. I noticed it but refused to indulge it. This is the reality of keeping our ego in check. It doesn’t disappear, but we can observe it and limit its power over us.
Source: Think Like A Monk
Sorry for the back to back hockey posts. Much to the chagrin of my wife, hockey has consumed a lot of my time lately. “I thought hockey wasn’t supposed to control our lives anymore,” is her favorite line. Last Sunday my team was eliminated from the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion. We gave up a two goal lead in the final two minutes of the game and went on to lose 5-4 in overtime. Don’t fret, I’m not about to bore you with the details of the game. Instead, using two incidents from the game, I’ll illustrate flared egos at play. Incident #1 - pregame warmup in the concourse area. Both teams are warming up in a small space and somehow it turns into a ‘hold the line’ situation. Their coach steps in, I see it from a distance and walk over to gather my boys. He says something I don’t like, I go on the defensive and hurl a few choice words in return. General rule of thumb - if a bunch of 14 years thought your response was ‘cool’, it was likely the wrong thing to do. Incident #2 - post game war of words. First, the ref and our head coach get into a heated argument on the ice. Then, as I’m about to walk into the dressing room, I see coaches from both teams bickering with each other at the other end of the hallway. The bickering quickly escalates into expletive filled yelling. It doesn’t stop until a parent steps out of a dressing room and politely says, “Can you guys please stop, there are little kids in these rooms.” Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, an army of adorable 6 year old kids waddle out of the dressing rooms and onto the ice. What an example we just set.
The ego acts as a roadblock in all aspects of life. It stymies curiosity. Most children ask questions freely, while most adults are reluctant to ask anything. If adults do ask a question, it’s often followed by guesses to the answer as means of self-protection. Also, it causes friction in relationships. An unchecked ego won’t allow you to share your vulnerabilities, acknowledge your weaknesses, or admit mistakes. And too often, it leads to unnecessary conflict. Like when a bunch of grown men attach their self worth to how teenage boys perform on the ice surface. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to have your ego fully under control. You have to be aware of its presence and constantly remind yourself to keep it in check. Don’t indulge. Take the high road.