The Difference Between Your Higher Self and Your Ego

The Difference Between Your Higher Self And Your Ego

We have heard it countless times, the question of getting a message and wondering if it is your divine higher self guiding you or is it your ego’s needs and desires driving you on with solutions. Within each of us, there are numerous voices that compete for our attention. It can be difficult to decide which one to listen to, particularly when their messages are all quite different and sometimes conflicting. Even psychic advisers who have help from the ether, angelic and other dimensions, question answers given to them when it comes to their own personal lives.

So how do you know if the answer to an issue or a life challenge that has just “popped” up in your head is your higher self guiding you to the win-win solution needed or have you just gotten your ego’s self-preservation version of the right solution. It can sometimes be as easy as having the “knowing” where there is no doubt, no second guessing and a rightness about the answer you have just received. Then there is that “aha” moment where it just seems like the right solution but maybe a little nagging doubt is there. For a moment there, your gut feeling tells you that you have the answer, then the doubts will begin shortly after.

The one thing I have learned through the years is practice in discernment of those answers is what usually makes those doubts become less and less. Go away forever, not likely. As the ego is a petulant child who wants what it wants when it wants it and will go to all lengths to make that happen. It takes you constantly being vigilant to how the answers “feel”.

Below are a few guidelines on feeling answers, from the higher self and then from the ego.

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Higher Self

1. You feel calm and centered about what you have just heard. You literally become the watcher of the situation and stand outside of the chaos.
2. The answer is always compassionate for all parties involved. You can easily see and understand why someone or you may have acted in a crazy or mean way.
3. You see the long-term effect of the answer of your challenge. Knowing that you may not see immediate good results from your decision.
4. You can honestly see the win-win situation from both sides. Others involved may not, but you do.
5. You have strong boundaries and you stick with them. Once you have made up your mind, there is no convincing you that you may have made a mistake.
6. Even in the most chaotic situation, you feel at peace with the answer you have come up with.

Ego’s Perspective

1. An adrenaline rush comes to you when you make that “aha” decision and it feels powerful and righteous! It feels like you are now going to come out on top!
2. You come up with the answer from judgement of self or others without compassion, meaning they or it should have been a certain way and you are correcting it.
3. The ego needs short term gratification telling you to make that call right now, break up or quit because it needs to be done now!
4. Your answer does not allow anyone to feel better and at peace. No one wins but the ego.
5. Your immovable answer comes from response or reaction connected to a person or a situation. Your ego could care less about what the other person(s) involved are thinking or feeling.
6. You have fight or flight emotions, pacing, clenched fists, shallow breathing, muttering to oneself and needing validation from others of your decision. You want revenge or to hurt.
7. Your ego will NOT allow you to do nothing and give you time to cool off, think about it, pray about it or step away from it. It needs for you to do something NOW! Usually something you will regret later. It will nag you, whine or throw a temper tantrum until you do something to make yourself heard or seen.

(READ: The Power of Breath)

Susan Z

Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.