Being spiritual isn’t about rejecting the ego

We may strive to be kind, loving, and generous but the truth is duality is a part of life. No matter how hard we try to escape them, we all have what we might consider “dark” impulses, thoughts, and feelings that creep in from the dreaded ego. We treat our ego-self like the unwelcome guest that shows up out of nowhere to crash our otherwise perfect party. The truth is the ego is an integral part of who we are as a person. When we reject the ego, we reject our humanity.

Spirituality is about embracing our true nature, accepting our faults, and learning to love and accept the totality of who we are. It is perfectly natural to have emotions such as jealousy, anger, and fear. Shame, guilt and judgement of self for feeling such emotions is what brings us the most pain and suffering.

When we fully integrate and accept our ego-selves, we learn to observe and experience what it means to be fully alive and present. The ego isn’t our enemy, it is a part of us that is full of hopes and dreams, passions, desires, and interests.

We are kinder to strangers than we are to ourselves

Have you ever noticed how destructive our internal dialogue can be throughout the day? We would never even consider treating another person with such disdain yet we seem compelled to judge our thoughts, actions and appearance almost relentlessly.

As spiritual beings it is important for us to strive to always do our best and be our very best selves. We can’t achieve this if we are broken by our own self criticism. We can do better if we start by treating ourselves kinder and gentler, even when we fall short of the lofty goals we set for ourselves.

It’s time to set aside the notion that we must be perfect to be spiritual. It’s time to celebrate the tiny victories, accept our selves for who and what we are, do our best, and tell ourselves how wonderful we truly are.