Creating a Better Life

Is it Ego or is it Intuition?

In an interview with AccidentalCreative.com, David Allen, productivity guru best known as the author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity, discussed something that I’ve thought about quite a bit:

How do I know which thoughts that pop into my head come from all of the “stuff” floating around up there, and how do I know what’s coming from my intuition?

I usually attribute the “stuff floating around in my head” to my ego. And when I say ego, I’m referring to that part of me that is necessarily selfish, that is concerned with who I am and what I need to do to survive and thrive. The problem with my ego is that it’s really smart (and incredibly good looking), but it also gets scared really easily. Give it full reign and it will start thinking that everything is a threat. That’s when it becomes self-centered, worried, and even frantic, and starts spouting off stupid stuff like “I’ve gotta do this now! It’s gotta be God telling me to purchase this get-rich-quick scheme (stop smoking product, or productivity tool, or whatever).”

When it kicks into this mode, those smarts I mentioned earlier go right out of the window.

12 Steps to Getting Things Done

One of the things that I’ve always been fascinated by is the connection between the secular and the spiritual. Personally, I don’t consider them to be separate; they are like two sides to the same coin. But since they are two sides, we can look at each individually.

The question of “Is it ego or intuition” made me think of a passage from the book “Alcoholics Anonymous”:

Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it’s not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely on it. — Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition, pg. 87

One thing to keep in mind about this passage is that it comes as a part of Step Eleven: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Another way to write this step could be:

Sought through thought and contemplation to improve our ability to follow our intuition, looking for the best possible course of action and the strength to do it.

Not as poetic, but it works for me.

This is important to keep in mind because, in the context of the 12 Steps, Step Eleven is #11. It’s assumed that the majority of the life garbage that the person who is working these steps has been trying to clear away has been dealt with to the best of their ability at this point.

Or in GTD terms: The initial trash cans have been dumped, and everything is in it’s proper place.

Personally, I believe that the connection to God (can I please stop writing “or whatever you want to call it” now?) is always there, and it’s always on. It’s all that “stuff”, all of that trash that’s accumulated over the days and years, that block us from it.

Only after this stuff has been cleared away will we be able to distinguish what’s from God and what’s from our ego.

And when we are in that clear space, it’s amazing what we can have, do, and be. I’m not there 24/7 (not even close… and I don’t know anyone who is), but when I do hit that sweet spot of being, I wonder why I ever go back to the muck.

It doesn’t matter what system you use to clear away the junk that’s blocking you. Try a few on for size. Give them an honest evaluation - just keep what works and chuck what doesn’t.

The Personal Development Carnival - June 3, 2007

Welcome to the June 3, 2007 edition of the Personal Development Carnival!

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If your home is your business, what kind of manager are you? Erica Douglas gives us the advantages and disadvantages of different management styles in Parenting: Micro-management v Complete Delegation, posted at Littlemummy.Com.

Keeping stock of our money means keeping stock of our lives and development. Silicon Valley Blogger tells us about 5 Tips On Evaluating Your Investment Portfolio Performance posted at The Digerati Life.

Laura Young details a humorous and lesson filled experience in following one of her dreams in The Path is Made by Walking: What Charlie Trotter Taught Me About Life posted at Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Life.

Albert Foong presents Stepping into greatness and out of unhappiness with dynamic goals - Aristotle and Ego Series. posted at The Urban Monk, saying “You probably suffer because of what you want and how you go about achieving your goals. The best secret to productivity, success, and happiness lies in switching how you approach your goals.”

Lexi Sundell gives us five Suggestions for Developing Intuition posted at Energies of Creation, saying “This article provides a straight forward guide to developing intuition.”

isabella mori brings us “the story of how i got myself back into business after some weeks of concentrating on family” in taking care of business posted at change therapy.

zenofeller asks us to take at look at what really works in The drowned faithfull posted at zenofeller.com.

Attila Borcsa presents See how friendships decisively affect your life posted at Vertegram, saying “The need for safety and confirmation in friendships can be transformed into the mirror of self-understanding.”

Billy Smith presents 3 Books for the Young Developing Leader posted at The Organic Leadership Blog.

Barbra Sundquist presents Spend Time with People Who Appreciate You posted at WelcomeJoy.com.

Debra Moorhead presents What Gardening Has Taught Me About Life posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

Anmol Mehta presents Heart Chakra Meditation, Balancing & Healing Online Class posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying “Online Meditation and Yoga course to help open and heal the Heart Center to promote love, forgiveness and compassion.”

Joseph Bernard, Ph.D. presents Are You Ready For Some Good News? posted at Explore Life, saying “Paul Hawken is a visionary thinker and his new websource is of interest to anyone who want to make a positive difference in the world.”

Alex Blackwell presents Begin Right Now, Today posted at The Next 45 Years.

Joanne Tai presents A Weird Dream posted at I’m Happy Fish.

Lola presents Goal Setting Techniques posted at Real World Spiritual and Personal Development, saying, “Practical goal setting tips that will propel you towards success.”

William Dvorak presents Selfishness, Defined posted at The First Creation.

edithyeung presents How to Identify What You Really Want? posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Andrew Michaels presents The Centrality Of The Mind posted at Lifecrafting, saying, “This article is about how your own mind can sabotage your life, but just as much, how your mind can help you achieve the peace, success, and quality of life that you deserve.”

Ted Reimers presents The Top College Internship Programs posted at CampusGrotto.

David presents Want Success? Get Some Sleep! posted at Worldwide Success.

Raymond David Salas presents How to Make Your Life Easier posted at ZenChill.com Power Tools Blog.

Alvin Soon presents 7 Power Wounds posted at Life Coaches Blog.

Craig Harper presents So, You Want to be a Writer? posted at Renovate your life with Craig, saying, “We’ve all got at least one great idea, message or story in us… it’s whether or not we choose to share that with the world and how we go about it. Many (many, many, many) incredibly talented and successful professional writers have zero training and qualifications.”

Chris presents Regular Logical Mode vs. Fun Partying Mode In Social Interactions posted at How to have more social success.

Christine Kane presents Immunity from Gas Prices: One Girl’s Ultimate Guide posted at Christine Kane’s Blog.

Anne Maybus presents How Do You Know When You Are Going Too Fast? posted at The Tall Poppy, saying, “A gentle way to slow things down.”

Rory Sullivan presents The Secret To Successful Parenting: Make Yourself Dispensable posted at hamelife.

Leah J. Utas presents Daily Angels posted at The Goat’s Lunch Pail.

CA presents Business life lesson - Business is a team sport posted at Atlantic Canada’s Small Business Blog, saying, “Business is a team sport. Or is it? Or at least that’s what I thought – until I got a wakeup call.”

Heather Flanagan presents If only I were rich posted at Visualize Possibilities, saying, “This post is about coming from an inner state of abundance in order that we may experience now the feelings that we think wealth will elicit in us. In other words, stop pretending you aren’t wealthy!”

Karen Lynch presents What Do You See? posted at LivethePower.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Yoga and stress management posted at SharpBrains, saying, “The possibilities of using a non-invasive treatment with few side effects, like yoga, to help with depression, anxiety, and other disorders with low GABA levels are exciting.”

Kevin Kinchen presents Earnings vs. Savings posted at Creative Power of Thought: Thoughts Become Things.

Rodger Constandse presents How to Avoid Perfectionism without Becoming Careless or Sloppy posted at Goals to Action, saying, “Tips on how to avoid perfectionism without becoming careless or sloppy.”

Lori Radun presents Friend or Saboteur ~ What is Your Relationship with Yourself (Part 1) posted at The Mom Coach.

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Thank you to all of the contributors for your wisdom and talent! And thank you for reading this edition of the Personal Development Carnival!

Next week’s edition will be hosted at Live the Power. Get your article in now via our submission page provided by Blog Carnival.

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Now go make it a fantastic week!