Hey ego where did you come from?

Ego.

It’s a funny thing, it can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Just when you think you have mastered self-awareness, have a strong sense of self, have learned your emotional triggers, and discovered ways of overcoming them, they explode in epic form! That ego becomes an ego trip! Yikes!

The ego is rooted in the past. Formed by things you’ve learned, the hardships, heartaches and challenges you’ve overcome, messages from parents, teachers, bosses, and friends. Ego is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it blocks us from really understanding why we are behaving in a certain way. If you can transcend it – even for just a moment – it allows you to make a choice about how to change your thoughts and behavior and get back to your true self.

All experiences are opportunities for growth, even those which triggered that big loud obnoxious ego to burst in and spark bad behavior. Stress can bring out the worst in people and sabotage the growth we’ve made. If you find yourself reacting in a way in which your ego is in control, stop and ask yourself, why am I reacting this way? Where did that come from? What is really going on here? Is my past dictating this?

Understanding ego, allows us to understand our thoughts, and regulate behaviors. It is an important lesson to be learned for leaders. If you can recognize and manage your own ego, you can help others manage their own.

Laughter can help too. If you can laugh at yourself, thinking back to that moment ….it helps reframe the challenge, and tells the world you are self-aware. Imagine that.