Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Motivation - The Joy of Being Wrong | Let Go of the Ego

Episode Date: February 13, 2023

This morning, explore the joy of releasing the ego's need to be "right" all the time. Want to be more focused? Wish distractions would just melt away? Sign up for the WMU Focus Course! If you're interested in joining, all you need to do is sign up for the course here: https://wakemeuppod.gumroad.com/l/focus. Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content + 25% discount on WMU courses by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Amazon - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. See visual guides for the yoga and stretches in WMU episodes at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/stretches. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wake Me Up is made possible thanks to the generous help of our advertisers and premium supporters. If you'd like to support Wake Me Up, listen ad-free, and get access to the entire catalog plus bonus episodes, then follow the link in the show notes to sign up for Wake Me Up premium. Now before our episode begins, here's a quick word from our sponsors. Hey there, and welcome to Wake Me Up. I'm your host Tyler, as always, and I'm so thrilled. that you're here today. This week, we're covering a really important topic, controlling the ego. And the ego is that part of us that identifies the self as something different and separate from the outside world.

In many ways, the ego is extremely useful. For example, it protects us from danger. But the ego has a thousand ways of preventing us from living a better life. life. So today and this week, we're going to be diving into one of these ways that the ego so often can hold us back, and that is fear of being wrong. Let's be honest, we don't like to be wrong. There's a certain sting that comes with having something you believe, no matter how big or small, be proven incorrect. But what if you're wrong about being wrong? What if, instead of stinging. Being wrong could be freeing. What if you were able to find joy in being wrong?

Wouldn't that save you so many battles and arguments, so much embarrassment? Well, we'll find some ways to do that in today's episode. But before we begin, just take a moment to pause. At this very moment, there's absolutely nothing you can do that's right or wrong. All you can do right now is B. So let's do exactly that and take a few deep breaths. So inhale and fill all the way up. And as you exhale, just let the air fall out. There's no need to force this and to try to do it in any quote-unquote right way.

You know how to breathe. You do it every day. So once more, inhale. all the way up, and then exhale, release. Fantastic. Now, feel free to go about your day in whatever way you'd like, whether that's brewing some coffee or tea, going for a walk or tidying up around your home.

There's no right answer here. And while you get your day started, let's dive into this idea of finding joy in being wrong. Mark Twain said, What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so. In layman's terms, there's nothing wrong with not knowing. Rather, it's being staunch in our need to be right that can land us in trouble.

It is human nature to dislike being wrong. Not only is it a hit to our ego, but at times it can put into question the entire reality we've built our lives on. And because of this, our mind. will jump through hoops just to ensure that we stay in the right as long as possible. But this, obviously, can get us into trouble. It closes doors, creates barriers, and ultimately traps us in a twisted cage of our own creation.

Our fear of being wrong can prevent us from unlocking an entire world of potential and opportunity. Being wrong can be a cause for celebration. if we choose to see it that way. Here's a really simple example. Let's say you walk home from work every day, and you always take the same path, believing that it's the best way, the right way, to come home from work.

Then one day, a coworker of yours who lives in the same neighborhood tells you about this other path she's been taking to get home. She tells you, it takes the same amount of time but on the way, you pass through a beautiful field of flowers. Now, you have a few choices. You can choose to continue being correct in your choice, not being disproven, and take the same path you've been taking every day. Or, you can toy with the idea of being incorrect about the best path to walk home.

You can open your mind to the idea that you may not know everything, and take this new way your coworker suggests. Imagine the joy and wonder you might open up if you choose to be disproven and you have the most beautiful walk home you've had in years. Now, I know that's a really simple example, and it diminishes how difficult it can be for us to let go of our firmly held beliefs.

But what if you looked at your firmly held beliefs in the same way that you looked at your path home from work. In other words, being open to the possibility that you don't know everything, and being open to considering that someone else may know a better way than you. It doesn't mean you have to agree with them in the end, but it at least means you should give their ideas a try. The point is this. There is joy to be found in the,

opportunities that appear when you're wrong. In fact, there might be more to gain in being wrong than in being right. Think about it this way. If we put our egos aside, there are lessons we can learn, discoveries we can make, and doors we can open just by opening the mind. If we're always right, it might be a nice ego boost, but we might be living life in a more difficult way. If we just open our hearts and our minds to the idea that we might still have more to learn in life, then we can unlock a whole new world for ourselves. The more you can accept this approach, this open-mindedness to new ideas and new ways of thinking,

the better you'll get at it with more difficult beliefs to let go of. And in that, you'll find a deeper sense of freedom. So, my friend, feel free to make some mistakes. Be open to not knowing everything. Approach the world hoping to be proven wrong about the way things are and watch possibilities bloom around you. The truth is, we can't be right all the time because we hardly know anything at all. And that's what makes the world so much more exciting.

There is so much to learn and discover when you admit that there's a world you simply don't know everything about. Give yourself the grace to be wrong, the grace to not have all the answers, and the grace to live as a beginner. I can guarantee you you'll have way more fun being wrong than if you go about life pretending to know everything

and acting like you have it all under control. In fact, I challenge you to prove yourself wrong today. If there's something that you've always told yourself, I can't do that. Then go and do it. At least give it a try. Who knows, maybe you'll get farther than you thought you could have. Whether it's cooking, playing an instrument, or running a marathon,

If you've told yourself you can't do it, then go and prove yourself wrong. If you have an opinion that you firmly believe is the only right one, take the time to listen to the other side. Even if you don't change your mind, at least you've opened it. And in doing so, you've also opened up more of the world for yourself. My friend, every time you learn something. new. Marvel at all of the things you still don't know. There is an infinite world just to learn about yourself, much less the people around you and the universe. My friend, you have an infinite number

of things to be wrong about and an infinite amount of joy defined in that fact. Well, that's all for today. Thank you so much, as always, for joining me with your precious time. I'll see you back here tomorrow for a meditation that will help you let go of the ego. It's a really great one, and I hope to see you there. Until then, go out and have an absolutely fantastic day.