Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Routine - That Ego is a No Go

Episode Date: July 12, 2021

As we wake up this morning, we'll free ourselves from the limits of our own egos. Enjoying Wake Me Up? Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content 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 - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. 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

If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Good morning and welcome to Wake Me Up, the podcast where morning people are made. Egos. They are like armpits. We've all got them, and they all stink. I personally have found that the quicker I let go of my ego, the sooner I find the success and happiness I've been looking for all along. I think it's the Star Wars character, Yoda, who said, easy is the path to wisdom for those not blinded by ego.

And I believe that's true for everything, not just wisdom. So today, as we wake up and enjoy a refreshing morning, we'll explore some of the ways that our egos hold us back, and how we can stay away from the ego trap. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to knock your confidence this morning. In fact, I think you'll find this episode extremely freeing and uplifting. So, let's get right to it. Wherever you are, whether you're joining from bed or you're already up,

take a big breath in, hold it at the top, and then exhale. Keep taking some of those full, deep breaths as we begin this morning. feel free to stretch, wiggle around, or do anything to help wake you up. Or, if you want, you can just lie completely still in bed and enjoy this last moment of peace and quiet. And while you do that, let's think about what the ego is. We all have it, but it's a little hard to define. Really, it's our sense of self. It's that barrier, that line of separation we create between our own.

and everything else in the world. Other people, plants, animals, air, water. It's the line we draw in our mind to identify ourselves. Now, I think there are a few important clarifications too. Ego and confidence are not the same thing. Confidence is self-belief, believing that you're capable of something. The ego is also not inherently. a bad thing. It's important that we have a definition and a picture of our quote-unquote self.

It allows for self-preservation. A problem arises, though, when the ego gets too big, and we become egotistical or controlled by the ego. Identifying yourself as separate from your surroundings, as the ego does, is only true to a certain extent. You are made up of mostly water. and all of the water in you came from your surroundings. The same is true for the air you breathe and the thoughts you think. Your view of the world is affected by the environment you're in. So yes, you are, in a sense, separate from the world around you. There is a line demarcing you from the rest of everything,

but it's not a hard line. You are just as much a part of everything else as everything else is a part of you. Now, I apologize for all of that philosophical talk first thing in the morning, but I do think it's important to set a foundation so we can all start from the same place. So how does the ego harm us in life? Well, in all kinds of ways. The obvious example is thinking that you're above or better than others,

that they aren't as capable as you. Sure, you might be better than someone at one thing, but they're better than you at other things. The ego also acts in far more secretive ways, though. And oftentimes this can be to protect the self from things we might be afraid of. I'll use myself as an example. I started this podcast about a year and a half ago,

but I've had the idea for this type of content for almost a decade because, well, I'm not that great at getting out of bed in the morning. So why didn't I start it earlier? Well, I was afraid of ridicule. I was afraid I didn't know how to do it right. And so I didn't start the show for a long time out of a desire to preserve my ego. But what's funny is that as soon as I got over myself,

stopped worrying about preserving my ego and just did it, I figured it out. It took some time, and surely I haven't done it all perfectly. Go back and listen to the first few episodes of this podcast, and you'll be able to see for yourself what I mean. I was not a very good narrator. Over time, though, I've found my voice, and I've become much better.

And it's these secretive little ways that the ego holds us back in life. It keeps us from doing the things that we really desire, because we might be afraid or whatever the case may be. Friends, remember, you are capable of whatever you want to do. It doesn't matter what it is, how skilled you are at it already. If you want it, you can. You just have to be willing to lay your ego aside, put down the need to preserve this perfect sense of self,

and open yourself to the opportunity to learn and grow. So as you start this morning, think about some things in your life that you're doing or not doing in order to preserve your ego. Because let me tell you, that ego is a no-go. You are way better off, moving on without it, and doing the things that you want to do. Now, on that note, it's about time to get out of bed

and start having an awesome day. So let's all take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, roll over in bed, and make your way to standing up. All right, now that you're standing, let's do a quick stretch. Only join in these if you're able, and of course, feel free to do something else if that's your preference. And before we do these, I encourage you to focus on feeling, not thinking. Don't worry about what you look like while you're doing these stretches,

or what someone else would think if they saw you stretching. That doesn't matter at all. Listen to the sensations in your body while you stretch. they will lead you to the right place. So let's start with our right arm. Have your arms down by your side and just take your right arm and draw some big circles like your arm is a windmill.

And go nice and slow all the way around your range of motion, just loosening up the shoulder. And once you've done a few circles in one direction, pause, and do a few in the other direction. Okay, you can't do a few in the other direction. Okay. can relax your right arm back down now, and we'll do the same thing with the left side.

Drawing those big circles, nice and slow, all the way around your range of motion. And again, once you've done a few, you can pause and draw those circles in the opposite direction. Okay, now let your left arm fall back down to your side. Take a big inhale and reach both arms to the sky now. Reach as far as you possibly can. and on your exhale, fold forward at your waist, let your arms hang down to the ground. It's nice to have a little bend in the knee here

since it is first thing in the morning. We're just trying to get the blood flowing and the muscles moving a little bit. All right, now slowly begin to roll back up to standing vertebrae by vertebrae. And when you get there, roll your shoulders up, back, and down. All right.

So I hope you're feeling a little bit looser now. Let's take a few minutes for a quick meditation. So go find a comfortable seat anywhere in your home. Just don't sit in your bed. Today's meditation will be a blend of breathing and a visualization. And it's really simple. What we're going to do is see ourselves breathing in the outside world and releasing ourselves back out on the exhale.

This image is real. we just don't see air, but every second you are taking everything in around you and expelling your quote-unquote self back out. The point of this visual is that you can begin to see yourself as a part of the world around you, rather than something separate from it. Everything you do is affected by the outside world,

and everything the outside world does is affected by you. An egotistical mind cannot exist in this balance. The sooner we can see that we must act in concert with the happenings around us, the sooner we can lay aside our fears and find the path we're looking for. All right, so hopefully by now you're in a nice comfortable seat. And you're seated upright, but relaxed. Try not to hold on to any tension. Take a deep breath in.

And as you exhale, gently close your eyes. Take this first moment to make sure you're comfortable. Let everything soften down. Let your face relax. And let your shoulders drop down. Let's take one more big breath together. So inhale, hold it, and exhale. You can breathe at your own pace now, nice and deep.

Most importantly, making sure that that breath is smooth. And as you breathe in, visualize the air around you being drawn into your body. See it entering into your blood through your lungs. As you breathe out, visualize a part of you being released back into the world around you. In and out.

Taking the world in and releasing yourself back out. continue seeing that image evolve. See this line that your mind creates between you and the outside world begin to dissolve. See yourself as being made up of the air you breathe

and recognize that to a degree the air outside of you is air that you have created. Continue with that breath and that visualization for another moment or so. taking each one deep into your belly, nice and slow, and then releasing it back out, all the while,

visualizing the connection between the inside of you and the outside of you through this act of breathing. All right, now begin to bring yourself back. Notice the chair beneath you, and your feet on the floor. Take a big breath in, and as you exhale,

slowly open your eyes and just take a second to gather yourself. So I hope all of that deep breathing has you feeling refreshed and energized. If you've been listening to this show for a while, then you know I'm one for the practical benefits of meditation. I don't tend to get too far off into the realm of the obscure. And I recognize that on first glance,

this visualization may come off that way a little bit. but the visual we created is truly real. It's just not one we see with our own eyes. You are made of mostly air and water. In fact, you are 65% oxygen. Where do we get oxygen from? The air we breathe and the water we drink. This connection to the outside world is real.

Though there is a practical survival benefit to seeing yourself as a separate, thing from the world around you, that separation is only a veil. We have to remember the lens we see the world through, which is our ego, ourself. Otherwise, we're bound to get lost in our own ego and miss out on all of the wonderful things that life has to offer. Now, it's time for today's send-off. My friend, I want to know, what are you doing or not doing to present? To your own ego, to avoid having your feelings hurt. What are the things you are afraid of because you're worried you're not good enough?

What are the things you've been unable to get, but you feel like you're entitled to? Whatever your answers are, I'm willing to bet that your ego is holding you back. Stop worrying about what other people will think of you. Stop worrying about whether you'll be accepted or not. or whether you'll be the best. Who cares if Joe Schmoe from high school thinks you're not cool enough, or pretty enough, or smart enough?

I can guarantee you one thing. Joe Schmo will spend all of one minute pondering how he thinks you're not cool enough, smart enough, or pretty enough. And then he's going to forget about you and start worrying about his own problems, because that's what we all do every day. So stop worrying about what everyone thinks or whether you're equal to them or better or worse.

Comparison is the egotistical mind at work, and it's the path to sadness. If you want to do something, do it because you want to. Don't worry about what others will say or think. Don't worry if there's someone out there who might be better than you. Who can actually define what better means anyways? You do deserve all of the wonderful things in life that you desire. But here's the flip side. You don't deserve them if you're not willing to work for them,

if you're not willing to prioritize them, and sacrifice things that are less important to you. Entitlement or thinking you deserve something without effort is also the egotistical mind at work. You do deserve a happy, fulfilled, and healthy life But that doesn't mean it's just handed to you. You have to earn it. My friend, as you go about your day today,

notice these ways that an egotistical mind might be holding you back. Remember, you are the world, and the world is you. The separation you feel sometimes is only a veil. And just as you want the best for the world, the world also wants the best for you. So when you feel yourself bawling up in fear or anger to preserve your own ego, remember that the world is on your side, and that that ego is a no-go.

That's all for today, friends. I really appreciate you tuning in and joining me here this morning. If you have a few seconds to spare before your day begins, make sure you're following Wake Me Up on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and whatever other podcast platforms you use. I'd also really appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser because that helps to spread the show to new listeners. I think that a good start to your morning

is really important to a fulfilling day. And wouldn't it be such a wonderful gift if your review convinced someone else to have a good morning with us? So thanks. Now I'll talk to you all soon, and until then, I hope you have a wonderful day.