Self-Mastery

A healthy ego can transmute fear into courage in a moment of true threat.

I was witness to this incredible human power today when I watched Egyptians run into a raging fire to stop it & save lives in full knowing that the fire had the potential to become explosive from exposed gas tanks & spread uncontrollably from intense winds.

In a moment of legitimate life or death trigger, our ego can take over in flight, fight, fawn or freeze.

I witnessed dozens of brave human beings

move through the trigger & transmute it into heroic courage in instant, as dozens of them attempted to put out the fire using only buckets & a hose.

It is in these moments of real threat that we need our ego-- to use its intense love of life to confront the reality & inevitably of its own death in order to save lives.

In the Sufi tradition, the ego is likened to a donkey or a horse. A horse is useful for the support and the sustenance of life if you harness its powers & abilities, if you ride it like a master horse rider. But if you let the ego overtake you, its like letting the horse or the donkey ride you. 🐴

The ego is a powerful gift from our Creator but it can be dangerous when you confuse yourself with your horse.🏇