When we feel positive and good about ourselves we find answers to challenges. When we feel low, irritable or generally out of sorts we make poor decisions and lose confidence.
But, what is it that determines whether we feel upbeat and courageous or uncertain and fearful?
John Reynard, author of ‘The Spiritual Route to Entrepreneurial Success’ believes the answer lies in whether we are in alignment with our real core being, the essence of who we really are, or whether we have been taken over by our ego. He suggests we need to overcome our own ego:
Our negative ego is that part of us that we are uncomfortable with and do not want to reveal. It is made up of powerful and painful feelings – and we pretend they are not there.
Our hidden secrets lie dormant until someone says or does something to activate them. It might be a completely neutral statement or act, but we take it personally and respond inappropriately or clam up and fume. We react defensively, from a place of fear and make decisions we later regret. If we never seek the truth of what lies behind such fears they have power over us. This is the negative ego.
In business the key signs of the ego playing a predominant role are when:
· There is no sense of flow. The business feels stuck and the same problems keep recurring.
· We feel we have to chase business at any cost and sell ourselves short.
· Clients are perceived as demanding, burdensome and unappreciative.
· We struggle to find and keep quality staff and suffer poor communications.
The way to address such challenges is to resist blaming outer circumstances and ask ourselves in what way have we been caught up in our ego. What false beliefs have been activated?
For example, my company won a large contract with a prestigious client, we successfully completed the first project, so they commissioned a second one. The new project got underway but we suffered technical hitches and our sub-contractors failed to deliver on their promises. In brief, it turned into a nightmare but we did deliver a quality product to schedule. The client however took a different view. They demanded compensation. It was made clear that if we did not agree to give them a discount, we would never work with them again. I was furious and felt compromised. Should I agree the discount, suffer a loss and hope to make good on later projects or stand my ground?
Around this time I came across the concept of clearing the ego. Hidden fears and negative emotions are transformed, when faced honestly and with courage. When we make it our goal to align ourselves with our Higher Self, our intuitive voice provides us with the answers we need to solve whatever problems come our way. This is a process I have used with many clients and the results always amaze me.
Having completed my own ego clearing I found clarity; I was attaching far too much significance to the ‘glory’ of having a well-known name in our portfolio. I had failed to recognise the bullying tactics of this company because my ego blocked my ability to see what was happening.
I called to inform them I expected payment in full. They paid and I did not hear from them again. This was a client that was never going to value our services and would always find fault. We needed to focus elsewhere.
If we do not honour ourselves, others never will. From that time on we attracted clients who were far superior. They were appreciative, a joy to work with, paid full price and shared our values of honesty and integrity. Overcoming my own ego allowed my business to flourish.
