Can life feel a little empty sometimes? Do you often feel feelings of jealousy or fear of what others will think? Do you feel stuck in the same job for fear of failure? Then it may be that you live too much in the ego and need to pay more attention to the voice of your soul. We humans are multidimensional beings, which means we are not just a body, a soul or a consciousness. Instead, we are made up of all parts that coexist and part of the soul journey is learning to balance these different energies.

When you go through a spiritual awakening or work with self-development, one of the most important insights you get is often that we are not our thoughts and feelings. Our soul can yearn for one thing while our thoughts and feelings can lead us in a completely different direction. The reason for that is that our thoughts are often guided by fears and instincts, which have the basic task of helping us survive. This is called our ego, and if we live too much in the ego, we can become unhappy and feel feelings of emptiness and self-hatred. The ego is different from the soul which acts only out of love and has even higher self in mind. Without the ego we would not survive in our physical body and without the soul we would not exist. In this article, we break down the difference between the ego and the soul.

What is the ego?

It is often said that the ego is our reptilian brain. Above all, thousands of years ago it was vital for us to survive by getting food, shelter and sticking to the herd, but it is also vital today. Since survival is the main task of the ego, it is primarily driven by selfish actions and fed by money, power and success, assets that today are associated with high social status in society. The ego is primarily driven by fear and if we are controlled by the ego we live in a constant search to be approved by those around us and try to look outside of ourselves for happiness. It often takes mental maturity and a dose of self-development to learn to control the ego, to learn not to care so much about what others think of you and to go your own way in life.

10 signs that you are controlled by the ego

1. You feel good about gossiping about others
2. In an argument, it is important for you to win at all costs
3. You constantly compare yourself to others
4. You get jealous when others are doing well
5. You stay in a job or relationship for fear of not finding something better
6. You cannot be satisfied with doing your best, but must win at all costs
7. You set unattainable goals that you almost know you can't reach and punish yourself if you don't reach them
8. You blame others when things don't go your way
9. You have a hard time apologizing
10. You have a great need for control

What is the soul?

The soul is the essence of who we are and exists beyond the human body. The soul has a clear and distinct sense of meaning, genuine belonging and the driving force is love. It is said that the soul speaks to us through the gut and it is from the soul that you make brave and sometimes (from society's point of view) illogical decisions, such as resigning from a well-paid job, changing direction in life, divorcing despite a house and children or maybe sell your home and move out into the country. When you live more from the soul you also want to be of service to others and unlike the ego which feels like a separate individual in the universe, the soul understands that it is part of everything.

If we live our lives out of the ego and neglect to listen to the inner voice, it can be difficult to feel true joy in life. You may have heard of people who earn millions and "have it all" but still end up in deep depression? The soul is that inner voice that always knows what is right and wrong for us regardless of how it looks on the surface. It can be very scary to listen to that inner voice because it often does not give us the opportunity to have control over situations, or to have a long-term plan ahead. The soul knows where it wants to go, but to follow the soul's path in life requires great courage and trust that life will take you where you are meant to go, and that you do not have to control life.

Let the ego and the soul act in symbiosis

Since we would not survive without our ego, there is no reason to downplay the ego and try to eliminate it. Instead, it is important to become aware of which voice is which, so that we do not live a life controlled by the ego but allow it to act in harmony with the soul. A healthy ego can help you get as far as you want, while an unhealthy ego can stop you from reaching your potential. By working with oneself and taking an esoteric/soulful journey, one can learn to live in harmony with the soul and the ego.

QUIZ to find out if you live according to the soul or the ego:
If the answer is yes to the following questions, you are living in accordance with your soul's truth

1. Would I continue working at my job if I only had a limited amount of time left to live?
   
2. Can I accept criticism without having to blame or brush it off?
   
3. Would I dare to stand up for myself and my opinions in a room full of strangers?
   
4. Would I want my possible children/future children to live the life I live?
   
5. Does my potential partner fulfill all the qualities that I am looking for deep down?