Have you heard the idea that:

“The spiritual journey is about killing your ego?”

Hm.

Here’s an alternative invitation:

Treat your ego like you’d treat a cute but barking puppy. Do not kill your ego- that needy puppy.

Even if you try, your ego *not* an entity. The ego is not a “thing” that can be killed. Ego is an *activity* of the mind. Ego is play of mind & heart: mental & emotional patterns flowing within you.

Ego includes the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.

In a repetitive and patterned sense. And it is far better to *befriend* those patterns than to constantly live in resistance to them, hoping to one day put them entirely to rest by killing them. Instead, practice radical self acceptance, self-care, and self love. …Embrace your ego. For you are not it.

…Cover your ego with love and acceptance.

…Be gentle: the patterns may persist, learn to gently let them fade as they arise.

And remember, you don’t need to kill anything in order to be spiritual.

P.S. It was a great honor to collaborate with Regina Linke on the illustration above.

P.S.S. Learn more about her forthcoming book of illustrations weaving philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. She does amazing work!