Is the ego friend or foe? What does it mean to really be YOU?
These are some of the questions I explore with Michael Neill, internationally known transformative teacher, coach and bestselling author. He’s also a long-time mentor and creative muse of mine, which means I’m even more excited than usual (if you can imagine that!) to introduce you if you haven’t met.
Our conversation is brimming with giggles, playful moments and deep contemplations about what it is to be a glorious mess of a human.
Here’s some of what we explored:
- Why marketing and self acceptance can be difficult
- A new definition of ego that actually feels good
- How “being yourself” can be an ego costume
- If you want to help people, this is your only job
- Having spiritual experiences on a train
- How wisdom uses the body to guide us
- Michael’s bad podcast etiquette and a case of pride bulimia
Listen on the podcast:
A Whole New Way of Thinking About Ego and the Self
“All the information we need to live a beautiful life is in us, given to us in real time. Most of us just haven’t learned how to listen.” – Michael Neill
The only problem with ego is that it takes us away from our true nature. When you stop trying to be your ego (your image of self importance) being who you actually are is really nice. What most people think of as “ego” is really ego plus insecurity. Michael shares his history of battling with his ego, and a recent insight that allowed him to feel pleasantly proud of himself for the first time.
Your stories about you are not your true self. You can have a relationship with your ego, your thoughts about you, but your true self is just you.
All the feelings you’re looking for (peace, love, contentment) are the feeling you’re in right now, actually FELT. This is what it means to be yourself. You’re always being yourself, but you don’t always feel it when you have a lot of noise in the system.
“You are always your true self, and a lot of the time you don’t notice.” – Michael Neill
The gap between “you” and “your true self” doesn’t exist. Most spiritual teachings are in service of closing this illusory gap, but it doesn’t exist. The ego is like a “real” mirage because when you close your eyes it goes away.
When you’re being you, without your thoughts of you, something moves through you. It can be described as getting out of the way, or showing up.
Choiceless choice is using your free will to follow God’s will. You could choose differently, but why would you?
Wisdom uses feelings in the body to help you navigate life. Once you learn the design of being human, it’s easy to listen to that guidance.
Effortless success is doing without a doer. If you don’t show up, it doesn’t happen. If you don’t give your hands over to Spirit, it can’t use them. But when you do, it does.
“However little it looks like there is to do, there’s even less to do.” – Michael Neill
Meet Michael Neill, Transformative Coach, Teacher & Bestselling Author
Michael Neill is an internationally renowned transformative teacher, author, broadcaster,
and speaker, described as having the unique ability to “blend the sacred with the profane.”
The inside-out understanding at the heart of his work challenges the cultural mythology
That stress, pressure, and other symptoms of “seriousness” are a necessary part
of adaptation and growth in business or indeed any area of life.
In his role as CEO of Genius Catalyst Inc. since its inception in the UK in 1990 to its
incorporation in the USA in 2007 and beyond, Michael has spearheaded its growth from consultancy to a multi-media organization delivering services to tens of thousands of loyal
customers each year through live training, online courses, and self-study programs.
He has also spent more than three decades as a coach, adviser, friend, mentor, and creative
spark plug to founders, CEOs, celebrities, royalty, and those who are up to something in the
world. His global client base is wide and diverse, having served clients in North America, UK,
Europe, and the Middle East in the fields of investment, sales, energy, manufacturing, the
entertainment and media industry, and more. He has been consistently ranked alongside
Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, and other legends in the field as one of the top 30 coaching
thought leaders in the world, and continues to run a small private practice working with
high performers in their fields of expertise.
A gifted communicator, Michael has authored six best-selling books including Creating the
Impossible, The Inside-Out Revolution, The Space Within, and Supercoach. His books have
been translated into more than 25 languages, and his public talks, retreats and seminars
have touched and transformed lives at the United Nations and in over 60 countries and on
six continents. His TEDx talks, ‘Why Aren’t We Awesomer?’ and ‘Can a TEDx Talk Really
Change the World?’ have been viewed by over two million people around the world and
His blog and podcast, Caffeine for the Soul, has been entertaining and inspiring audiences
around the world for more than 20 years.
Connect with Michael
Website: https://www.michaelneill.org
Podcast: https://www.michaelneill.org/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelneillcatalyst
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1PvfTOKK_7JaJMEzwRFcyA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mneill
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michael_neill/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mineill/
Get the Basic Course for free: https://www.michaelneill.org/basiccourse
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