5/29/05: The Ego’s Empty Pleasures

When you seek things of the ego, you are seeking empty pleasures. To chase after fame, fortune and power for the ego is to chase after hollow pursuits, for when we achieve the ego’s desires, we are left feeling just as empty, if not more, than we were when we began.

When we seek admiration and praise in any form, we are giving in to our ego’s whim.

Instead of covering up the real pain behind the pursuit and giving into the ego’s temporary gratification, we must acknowledge the source of the pain itself and deal with it directly.

The source of the pain is our own feeling of inadequacy. The only reason we seek praise from others is because we do not feel good enough within ourselves, therefore we need external approval, validation and justification.

When the ego rears its head and we feel the urge to seek praise from others, we have been given the opportunity to look deeper within ourselves and recognize our true feelings of insufficiency.

Only then can we work directly with our root feelings and embark on a journey toward meaningful, fulfilling and lasting pleasures.