Ego and us

Ego wants to do big things. It's not satisfied with changing one life. It wants to transform millions of lives. It wants Likes. Recognition.

Or, it goes into its shell. Struggling to find its place in the world. Becoming small. Guilty. Jealous. Angry. Doubtful.

Our lives swing from one end to the other. Taking ego on a trip. A never-ending trip.

Last night I was talking to someone who's one of the heads of a startup that's now a Unicorn. You know, those multi-billion dollar valuation ones.

Our chat was about the founder. The company has a new effective CEO - making the founder's position somewhat redundant. The founder struggles to find a shining spot in a new, changed world. Defensive. Doubtful. Disturbed if people don't listen anymore. 

The anecdote is very telling. Most people who start anything dream of it growing beyond their dreams. And when it grows that way, it still isn't fulfilling.

Nature shows us the way.

When you plant a seed too deep in the ground, the plant doesn't grow. When you plant the seed too shallow, it still doesn't grow. It needs to be planted just right.

May be that's the way forward for the ego. To skip the swinging from hurting others or ourselves. May be to strive for a balance and stay right there in the middle.

Keeping with the work. Ignoring everything else. Taking only one step at a time.