When Things Get Under Our Skin
March 17, 2024
My ego has a story about how things should go and how people should be. But contrary to my ego’s wishes, my soul trusts life as the mystery it is. When my ego serves the soul, the two have a sacred alignment. This brings harmony and flow. However, alignment between the ego and the soul cannot occur if we live in our unchecked ego. The dominating ego demands that life go as planned, inevitably leading to heartache because none of our egos can dictate our destiny.
As a fifteen-year-old, I was instructed to use my turn signal when driving. Since then, I’ve always used my turn signal. But it seems that many people don’t use their turn indicators anymore. I was also taught that when driving at night, we were to take our headlights off “bright” out of courtesy to on-coming traffic. But now, this seems to be becoming a rarity. These things get under my ego’s skin because it thinks everyone should do what my ego thinks is best.
My ego keeps me in turmoil when things such as the turn signals and bright lights get under its skin. But signals and lights are just the tip of the iceberg for the unchecked ego. It is thrown off whenever life deviates from its desires. In the spiritual life, dealing with our unchecked ego is one of our most enormous challenges, if not the largest.
The soul has a lot to teach the ego. For example, the soul can bring peace when the ego is irritated because people and situations are not going their way. How is this possible? The crucial step is for the soul to remove the irritants underneath the ego’s skin. But the ego must realize that its irritation will never cease unless it cooperates with and carries out the soul’s intentions. This is a quintessential realization. Some people have called this “being born again.”
How does the soul lead the servant ego when we encounter unused turn signals, oncoming bright lights, and all the millions of things that go against the unchecked ego’s wishes?
The soul incorporates the will of the Divine that arises in the present moment. Through alignment, sensitivity, transparency, and awareness of the omnipresence of the Divine, our soul discerns the Divine’s guidance. Sometimes, the soul guides us to remain silent or to accept the situation as it is. Yet, at other times, it leads us to resist and even to fight.
Inquiry: What would it require of you for your ego to become a servant of your soul?
Dear God,
For the realization of my soul’s connection to you in every moment, I pray from my depths.
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