From Ego to Self

*Ego Attitude Versus Spiritual Attitude

Attack….fear Love
Selfish Selfish/Selfless Balance
Holds grudge Forgiveness
Top dog/Underdog Equality
Competition Cooperation
Judgment Spiritual Discernment
Guilt Innocence
Self-righteousness Personal Opinion
Life as War Life as School
Fights Universe Accepts Lessons
Life is a Bummer Life has Challenges
Problems Opportunities
Pessimistic Optimistic
Insecurity, self-doubt Self-Confidence
Powerless, out of control Self-mastery
Anger and depression Emotional invulnerability
Neediness, dependency Preference, want
Victim Master
At effect At cause, choice, creator
Self-pity Takes responsibility
Impatience Patience
Suffering Joyous, happy
Reacts Responds
Hurt Invulnerable
Sees sin Sees mistakes
Attachment Involved detachment
Laziness, procrastination Discipline
Jealous, lacking Whole, complete, non-attached
Law of the jungle What you sow, you reap
Makes demands Asks
Moody Positive mood all the time
Self-punishment Self-love and forgiveness
Mistakes are negative Mistakes are positive
Ego-sensitive Unchanging self-worth
Giving is losing Giving is winning
Stealing is gaining Stealing is losing
Rejection fears Remaining centered, whole
Self-centered One team
Intimidates Uses power appropriately
Automatic pilot Consciously creating life
Over or under-indulgent Balance, integration, moderation
Past thoughts, future fears Now-present centered
Lonely Finds wholeness in self
Stranger Brothers and sisters
Embarassment No judgment of self or others
Martyr Selfish/selfless balance
Gossip Remain quiet if you have a judgment
What will others think? Inner-directed, non-conformist
Worry, anxiety Faith, trust in self, Higher Power
Indecisive Decisive
Envy Happiness/joy in other’s abundance
Attached to others’ lessons Responsible only for own lessons
Comparisons Not insecure, inner-directed
Undeserving Deserving
Sickness Ability to handle dis-ease,let it go
Sexuality: no love or affection Sexuality with intimacy and love
Poverty consciousness Prosperity consciousness
Arrogance and insecurity Humble and self-confident
Sullen, serious and over-involved Humor, objectivity, perspective
Fault-finder Builder and lifter of others
Rebellious or conforming Inner-directed
Curses Blesses
Scattered Focused, purposeful
Fear of failure or success Successful
Aggressive Assertive
Harsh Gentle
Emotional Roller-Coaster Emotional Stability
Disorganized Organized
Bored Interested, not enough time
Abandonment Whole, complete within self
Sadness and Grief Involved detachment
Disappointed Involved detachment
Rationalizes and makes excuses Self-honesty, tough love
Immature honesty Spiritual honesty
Tell people off Speak the truth in love
Needs center stage or hides in fear Able to judge to suit occasion
Conditional love Unconditional love
Rejecting Accepting and supportive
Lessons as punishments Lessons as gifts
Dog eat dog world School for spiritual evolution
Power versus surrender Power plus surrender
Limited Unlimited
Intolerant Tolerant
Conflict Peace
Illusions Truth
Hypocritical Consistent, honest
Despair Hope
Close-minded Open-minded
Distrustful Trust in self and others
Defensive Nothing to hide or defend

The big question is “How do you get from ego attitudes to spiritual attitudes?“

Brief Mission Statement for My Anxiety Therapy website: www.myanxietytherapy.com

The mission of this website is to offer a new paradigm for the positive meaning of anxiety for our time. The revolutionary good news is that anxiety is a friend in disguise offering a painful wake-up call so long as we ignore or resist its life-giving message. Anxiety-recognition, anxiety-analysis, anxiety re-diagnosis and anxiety-transformation are conscious steps on your spiritual journey of enlightenment. Read the enclosed attachment and/or email me for more information at drjoe@shentel.net



*Adapted from material by Josuha Stone and Nick Armstrong