Ego; it is our distinct self-image, self-esteem and self-worth. According to some studies, we start developing our ego as early as 6 to 18 months from birth. It begins with the simple and innocent act of looking at our reflection in the mirror, making sense of what we see, and finally, deriving pleasure from it. This actually contributes to the reason why ego receives a lot of bad press; some people become too obsessed with the act and are unable to outgrow it.

The truth is developing and ego is an essential part of our development. It is the offspring of our mind and body. Our ego is closely tied to our identity. It lives at the heart of our desires and actions. It helps us distinguish ourselves from others, which is again, why we look in the mirror. We want to gauge how we look and measure against our surroundings. It is this deep need to stand out that helps us build our confidence and character.

So, ego is not the bad guy. The bad guy is the person who actually misuses it. If you exhibit the following signs, you are not heading in the right direction:

#1 – You become out-of-touch with reality
This occurs when you don’t accept feedback from others. You may form a belief that you don’t make mistakes. When people criticize you, your ego gets bruised.

#2 – You have unrealistic expectations
This when you start throwing tantrums when you don’t get things the way you want it or when people don’t act the way you want them to.

#3 – You become dependent on compliments
You start over-indulging on praise, rewards and recognition from others to the point where you start demanding it and become upset when you don’t receive it.

Our ego is our natural Achilles heel. It can be our great source of strength just as well as weakness. If not kept in-check, it can lead to our undoing.

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