I recently fell for a scam. It started with a Facebook ad for a pair of purple Skechers. The shoes were adorable. The ad looked legit. I made an impulsive decision without second-guessing.
When the shoes finally came, they were clearly crappy knock-offs. My requests for a refund met with stony silence.
Angry and frustrated, I shared my plight on Facebook, and received an outpouring of support and advice. I trashed the shoes, disputed the charges, and the credit card company reimbursed me immediately.
This ordeal taught me a valuable lesson: Never trust social media ads.
But more importantly, the experience served as a profound symbol for a spiritual principle…a sort of metaphysical wake-up call.
I’ve long been a student of A Course in Miracles, a spiritual text centered around mind training. It emphasizes the power of the mind and the importance of distinguishing between the voice of fear (or Ego) and the voice of love (or Soul).
Listening to the Ego leads to misery and unhappiness, while tuning into the Soul brings peace and love.
My challenge always lies in discerning between these two voices. But reflecting on those shoes, I had an Aha moment.
I suddenly saw the Ego as nothing more than a highly polished scam artist, feeding us lies that feel believable. I’m inadequate, the world is scary, and I need to hide, or I’ll be rejected. I tend to fall for these fabrications, which only reinforces its grip.
But just as I recognized the shoes as fakes, I can also recognize the falsehoods of the Ego. As soon as I feel like crap about myself, rather than succumbing to self-doubt, I can turn my attention to the loving guidance of my Soul.
It’s a simple decision. Whenever I feel bad, I know I’m in the grip of the Ego, and I can choose to shift my focus to gratitude and start counting my blessings.
In essence, it’s about reclaiming power over my thoughts and emotions, refusing to be swindled by the Ego’s tricks. Just as I took action to rectify the shoe scam, I can take action to reject the Ego’s negativity and align with the benevolent wisdom of my Soul.
How do you distinguish between the voice of fear (Ego) and the voice of Love (Soul)? Leave me a comment below.
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