Ego Weekend

What is Ego? Ego means what we identify with. I AM the small self, my fears, my fat, my beauty, my body, my aches and pains, my mistakes, my anger, my pride, my issues, my vanity, my emotions, my wealth, my poverty, my failures, my successes, and so on. Identifying with the small self often manifests as feeling superior or inferior. When we refer to the ego as an obstacle that usually means that small self mode.

The ego can also identify with the higher Self. I AM. I am Consciousness. I am an instrument of God's peace. I am a vehicle of Divine energy. I am the Witness, Watcher, and Seer of all this. I am letting go and letting God. Identifying with the higher Self feels good, peaceful, and in the flow. In this state, we notice how everything is happening perfectly and we feel grateful.

Anyhow, today I was thinking about the connection between ego (small self) and discipline. I notice that on the days when I am practicing my disciplines, the small self ego has much less hold on me. And the opposite is also true on the days when my practices fall by the wayside.

For example, during the weekdays I practice my disciplines very easily. I watch my sugar intake, eat lightly, practice yoga every day, pray and meditate, adjust my thoughts and feelings as needed, and plan my days. These disciplines make me feel light, light-hearted, and somewhat enlightened. I am identifying with the higher Self lots of the time.

But I've noticed that on the weekends, those disciplines sometimes go out the window and often by Monday I'm achy, bloated, and ready to be hard on myself (ego - I am my mistakes). It is also a bit harder to get back into those disciplines after I've let them lapse for a while. Can anyone relate to this?

So, what is the solution? Do I need to be more like Gandhi who kept up his disciplines no matter where he was or what was happening around him? But then what about taking it a bit easy with my family on the weekends?

I think the solution is to add to my Yogic Diet strategic attraction plan:
- BE GRATEFUL - I am grateful that discipline now comes easy from Monday through Friday.
- BE THOUGHTFUL and PLAN - I spend time to plan for the weekends. I plan to eat a high protein breakfast on the weekends. I plan to do a mini yoga and meditation session each day on the weekends. I do them and I feel great. I plan to cook a nice dinner for my family on Sundays.
- BE POSITIVE - It is now easy for me to take better care of myself and my family on the weekends.

Having a plan is 90% of the solution. Let me practice this and I'll let you know how it goes. I think it's going to be a good weekend.

Body Image and Positive Thinking

When a room is dark, you can’t illuminate it by bringing in more darkness. You have to turn on the light. Love is the brightest light. Therefore, begin to look at your body with love rather than with a critical eye. See your perceived physical imperfections with love and compassion. See yourself as a child or a lover would see you...as perfect, pure, and beautiful. Treat your body with love, gentleness, and respect. Give your body pure food, fresh air, and exercise. Changing the way you look at and think about your body will work wonders for your self-esteem. As your self-approval and self-confidence grow, your beauty will increase as well. How can you expect others to love you and think you are beautiful if you don’t love yourself and treat yourself with kindness and respect?

Best selling self-help author Louise Hay says, “Everyone suffers from self-hatred and guilt. The bottom line for everyone is ‘I’m not good enough.’ It’s only a thought and a thought can be changed. We must be willing to begin to learn to love ourselves. Self-approval and self-acceptance in the now are the keys to positive changes.” (You Can Heal Your Life p9).

Exercise:
- Make a list of your negative self-talk about your body and all your body issues/dislikes/worries/fears/troubles/health concerns. You can start from the head to the toes, from the outside to the inside, or any way you choose.
- Once your list is finished, take a moment to forgive yourself for this kind of thinking. Next, release these thoughts in a ceremony...I prefer an imaginary fire ceremony.
- Now, you are ready to write new positive affirmations and this is how you will think about your body from now on. You can start your list with “I love and accept my body exactly as it is.” Repeat your new affirmations as a way to deeply nurture yourself.