Pride and Inspiration

Look at me!  Look at me! Look at what I did!
- Little me


Feeling Good About What We Do

Sometimes I find myself pleased when people compliment me on my yoga classes, when I look down at a photograph I've taken  or a piece of finished writing and think to myself, "That is good!  That's really good!" or when I realize that I was "right" about something I figured out long before the professionals did...and even when professionals kept telling me I was wrong for decades. Yeah I feel good at those times and I wonder if it is an ego reaction, I am experiencing, or a spiritual one?

Pride or Spirit's Wisdom

Am I feeling "pride"?  Pride is of the ego.  It is when the "little me" steps in to claim ( or openly disclaim) ownership of something that isn't its to own that pride becomes the culprit.  Little me puffs up as it looks around and more or less says, "Look at what I did better than you."  Not nice.

It is spiritually wise, on the other hand, to step back and realize that we, in this minute form, did not do this thing we may feel good about... this thing was just done through us, that's all.  I suppose it is okay to feel good about it then, especially if it inspires, helps, heals, guides or brightens up the life of someone else. It is not pride then if we simply realize, that through the accomplishment of this thing, we are going in the right direction...toward what is real and important.


It isn't Mine
I constantly go back and forth  between pride or ego's need to redeem itself  and to  just feeling good that I am opening up to something so much bigger than "little me". 

I have learned, long ago, that my poetry is not mine to own (or reject) ...it just comes through me.  It really does.  I would, however, find myself puffing up like a peacock when others published my other work or commented on its merit.  "Look at me!  Look at me!" I would shout out to others and that was pride.  I wanted others to see beyond my less desirable parts to something I was doing right or better than them. I took ownership of whatever came out on the page but I now realize that even my non fiction is not mine...it is just  something that comes through me. 

Inspiration, in whatever form it comes in, like inspired air, is just breathed through us.  We are not the breather.  We are the breathed.

When I teach a  class and I am "present"...something comes through me that benefits the students.  Ego, if it were active at those times, would just get in the way. It is not "little me" that teaches the best classes though sometimes ego wants me to believe it is. 

When I figure things out in regards say, to what is going on in my body when others outwardly deny that it  is, and when they are finally forced to see through the evidence that I was right all along...there is no need to puff up and say, "Look at how smart I am! I was right!  I was right!  And you were wrong!".  It was not 'me' that figured it out.   That intellectual knowledge did not come from my little mind.  Something much bigger than  me, much bigger than their educated opinions,  was showing me what I needed to know.  Hmmm!

Yeah pride and self righteous redemption wants to step in at those times but I don't want to go there.  I have to really be aware of my tendency to want to and remind myself that what came through me  isn't mine. Pride ( or shame) will  not serve me or others. 

In-spirit/Inspired

If we want to progress on our spiritual journeys we need to be aware of our tendency toward pride. We need to put it down and give the credit to spirit.  We are inspired and "in-spirit" when these things come through us.

Stay open. Step back and let spirit do its wonderful thing through you.  It will.  Feel good about that!

All is well.


Eckhart Tolle (November, 2019) Is it prideful to own our accomplishments? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkzYqmmGoU4