Modesty and ego

 The Starving Artist - part 5

“Having a low opinion of yourself is not “modesty”. It’s self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not “egotism”. It’s a necessary precondition to happiness and success.” —Bobbe Sommer

My take on Dr. Sommer’s words is balance. She explains very well the illusion of modesty we can adhere to and the importance of a strong sense of self.

Earlier today Marc was reading from Dan Millman’s “The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior” and he shared a passage I found profoundly enlightening. Millman speaks of the trinity of the self consisting of the basic self (or sub-conscious) the conscious self (ego) and the spiritual self. He explains each phase with eloquence and adds that each part of our being needs to be acknowledged by the other parts. As I sat in the tub and pondered this, it occurred to me that every time I feel frustrated or depressed and I (or someone else) try to reason away my feelings, it makes me feel even more upset. The reason I am even more upset is that my feelings are left unacknowledged. The “logic” is not comforting and is often the source of the initial upset as sometimes we get results from our efforts that are completely illogical. (Confession time: me = part Vulcan) Millman gives the example of the Samurai Warrior who enters a fight to the death. He must have mastery over each part of himself, physical, mental and spiritual, or he faces certain peril. Luckily for us the stakes are more forgiving as a general rule.

In order to find happiness, inside and out, we need to thrive to be our best. When we compete with ourselves (as opposed to comparing ourselves to others), we challenge our own limits. We evolve into the best of ourselves by connecting with all the facets of who we are. When we remain in compassion, and respect our ego stays in check with our feelings and our spiritual self. Then everything functions in balance. (Oh and yes, I am a Libra so balance is as important as logic ;) )

Namaste!

Bianca

This personal blog was written by Bianca Pittoors. You may “share” it in its entirety. I respectfully request that you respect it as the intellectual property that it is. Thank you! All photos by Bianca Pittoors unless noted otherwise.

Bianca Pittoors & Marc Langis are Bianca Basso. Creators of original music with a vintage flavor, they are distinctive in their contemporary style.

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