Someone I coach asked me:
I want to build my personal brand, I believe I can help people. I was wondering how you do that? Obviously you do it to help people, and to create opportunities, but I also imagine you get a kick out of it when you get a lot of likes, or when you build a following. How do you deal with your ego in this work?
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It’s very true that you can get a kick out this work, especially online. It’s pretty much unavoidable. It brings a certain high, it’s just how the brain is wired.
How I keep my work pure, and how I make sure that I do not become corrupted, is by constantly reminding myself and choosing for my pure intention (service to others), and by being honest to myself when I notice other intentions come up (enjoying validation, wanting to feel powerful, liking to hear myself speak, etc).
I am honest about this in the first place to myself, but also to others. Like for example by publicly writing a post like this.
The simple act of acknowledging all parts of myself, both the selfless and the selfish, the pure and the less pure, the light and the shadow, helps me to not be unconsciously influenced by my shadow.
Anyone that cannot look at or acknowledge their own shadow, is not fit for this work. They will be led by their shadow - even if they don’t want it to lead them.
So how I deal with the ego in this work in essence is simple:
- I acknowledge and observe it
- I know it has no power as long as I am able to observe it and choose differently
- I dare to stand behind my gift. A pretence of humility is as much of an ego game as being drunk on pride
- I am humble enough to know that there are still parts and energies alive in myself that I am not yet able to see
- I have faith in a higher, loving intelligence that I am highly motivated to align myself with (which strongly weakens the ego’s tendency to control or manipulate)
- I keep a daily devotion to pure motive + personal accountability.
My two cents: If you have a gift to share (which we all do do), and as long as you are willing to do your shadow work; own it. It would be a disservice to not share it with others.
ॐ