My Ego Is the Enemy...Is Yours?

It's not easy to admit you have a big ego.

And while I don't think it's as big as it once was, mine is still there and it's holding me back.

But I've been on a mission to conquer it.

Now, there's a difference between ego and self-confidence.

But, ego...which allows for pride, false confidence, illegitimate feelings of being disrespected or disregarded and a dangerous unwillingness to fully take the input of others as seriously as you should...that's insidious and needs to be destroyed.

At least in my opinion.

Once you do that, you are open to experiencing the world more fully and recognizing how you can truly learn and be inspired by every person and every situation.

The most recent and one of the most powerful aids in my journey is a book by Ryan Holiday called Ego is the Enemy.

For a dude who is under 30, he certainly spouts mega-wisdom (which I guess shouldn't be so surprising, right?)

What he effectively points out over and over again throughout the book is that to accomplish true, meaningful goals on a personal or a professional level each of us is, more often than not, our own worst enemy.

Our sense of entitlement or having been wronged or being stuck in the past not willing to change or being fixated on something....these are all manifestations of ego.

Instead, he advocated relentlessly for pushing ahead, aka "doing the work" as it is through that process that we discover our true selves and achieve greater fulfillment.

Our time is precious. We shouldn't spend it feeling sorry for ourselves or expect others to feel sorry for us.

I found Ego is the Enemy to be very motivational, but not in a cheesy pop psychology way, more in a philosophical thoughtful way, which compelled me (and may compel you) to look deeply into your own inner workings and challenge how you look at the world for the better.

If you are feeling stuck or concerned that you aren't achieving all you can, Ego is the Enemy may be of value.

I found it to be.