We oscillate between too much and too little ego. We are down on ourself or puffed up arrogant. Yet arrogance is often a reflection of insecurity. It stunts our growth as a human being as we feel we know everything. We stop learning. Finding the middle ground is essential for our mental and physical health. Healthy self-confidence is the way to achieve this. Healthy self-confidence puts no one down – not myself and not others. Mindfulness allowing observation of our inner life in the present moment is like a “tell-tail” on the sailboat mast. Just like the tell-tail gives us the direction of the wind allowing us to adjust our sails, similarly, mindfulness tells us the state of our mind, allowing us to make healthy adjustments. When we recognize we are in a “putting down” mood, we can stop harming ourself by simply telling ourself, “putting myself down is not healthy, it is just an old dysfunctional habit.”
