And the winner is..... me!
Posted on Jun 9th, 2008
by 
Wonderer
Wonderer
Not that I've actually won anything lately. Not as such.
Not officially.
But I made a goal. I worked hard to reach it. And I did reach it.
That makes me a winner in my book anyway. :)
It is worth noting though, that it's not so much actually accomplishing the task that makes the effort worthwhile, it's the effort itself, the process. For me, the satisfaction of reaching the goal quickly wears off, what is left is what I've gained from the process. So does that mean that the goal in itself is not important? Well, I've found that to do anything more complex than picking my nose, I need focus. Without focus it takes forever to accomplish anything. And a goal is like a magnet attracting attention, enabling me to stay focused on the task at hand. Most things worth doing require a certain amount of hard work, but without a well-defined goal I find it difficult to focus the energy and enthusiasm required to go through with it. Still, if I don't enjoy the process, no goal is worth reaching, I think.
And I've noticed one more thing. Being a quiet and modest person (no, really!), I'm not one to brag about my achievements. Quite the opposite in fact: It seems I usually downplay my triumphs and successes ("Oh, it was no big deal"). The reason has been, perhaps, an unclear idea that subduing the ego would make me more altruistic, understanding, empathic. Or maybe I've been concerned that people would dislike me if I was too preoccupied with myself, and so I went to the other extreme. Hmm... Anyway, it seems that if I have a genuine interest in sharing my 'stuff', people appear to have a genuine interest in listening! Imagine that! :)
The point of all this, if there is one, seems to be that the Ego is not neccessarily just a Bad Guy, one to get rid of at all costs, but someone which it is wise to know and cooperate with if we are to accomplish anything. And that's one of the reasons we came here, right?
--
PS! My goal was a very mundane one: Finishing a 170 km cycling road race in less than 5 hours. I used 4 hours 46 minutes.
Not officially.
But I made a goal. I worked hard to reach it. And I did reach it.
That makes me a winner in my book anyway. :)
It is worth noting though, that it's not so much actually accomplishing the task that makes the effort worthwhile, it's the effort itself, the process. For me, the satisfaction of reaching the goal quickly wears off, what is left is what I've gained from the process. So does that mean that the goal in itself is not important? Well, I've found that to do anything more complex than picking my nose, I need focus. Without focus it takes forever to accomplish anything. And a goal is like a magnet attracting attention, enabling me to stay focused on the task at hand. Most things worth doing require a certain amount of hard work, but without a well-defined goal I find it difficult to focus the energy and enthusiasm required to go through with it. Still, if I don't enjoy the process, no goal is worth reaching, I think.
And I've noticed one more thing. Being a quiet and modest person (no, really!), I'm not one to brag about my achievements. Quite the opposite in fact: It seems I usually downplay my triumphs and successes ("Oh, it was no big deal"). The reason has been, perhaps, an unclear idea that subduing the ego would make me more altruistic, understanding, empathic. Or maybe I've been concerned that people would dislike me if I was too preoccupied with myself, and so I went to the other extreme. Hmm... Anyway, it seems that if I have a genuine interest in sharing my 'stuff', people appear to have a genuine interest in listening! Imagine that! :)
The point of all this, if there is one, seems to be that the Ego is not neccessarily just a Bad Guy, one to get rid of at all costs, but someone which it is wise to know and cooperate with if we are to accomplish anything. And that's one of the reasons we came here, right?
--
PS! My goal was a very mundane one: Finishing a 170 km cycling road race in less than 5 hours. I used 4 hours 46 minutes.
Access: Public
bergen
August 2008 
Fantastic. Congratulations..Indeed an achivenment…I could never have done that:) Well, maybe I could have, if I put my mind to it…hehe..
I think all the stuff about getting rid of the Ego is just a distortion..We need the Ego..It is the vessel for the spirit to move through..So aligning it with the Higher Self , making it a tool to serve your higher self is important..So the distorted Ego, the immature Ego, the fearful Ego has to step aside, so that the light can shine..But the Ego is the foundation..If it is not strong, the light cannot shine either..
I enjoyed reading this.
congratulations. :-)