When your bank balance looks great, the title on the business card is impressive, and your talent seems to open every door, it is easy to feel invincible and fall into the trap of obsession with yourself. You begin to believe that only your thoughts matter and for everyone surrounding you, there is only your way or no way!
This is the “false security” of thinking you are the sole author of your achievements, is a mindset that inevitably leads to a bloated ego and a sharpened sense of arrogance. When you look at the word EGO as an acronym for Edging God Out, do you see the human fallacy?
When you push the Divine to the periphery, you lose our connection with reality. You begin to live in a house of cards, convinced that you command the wind.
The Trap of "I’ve Got It All"
The most dangerous moment for any high achiever is the moment you believe you are truly self-made. This “false security” is a form of ego. We forget the “unseen hands”- the help that came at the right moment, the mentors who poured in, and the Grace that kept you from disasters you nearly stepped into.
Arrogance is essentially a defence mechanism you adopt believing that offence is the best form of defence. You use power and money as armour because, deep down, you are perhaps insecure about your own fragility.
By Edging God Out, you take on the exhausting burden of being your own sustainer. That is a heavy, lonely way to live. It is the primary driver of the eventual downfall that so many leaders experience.
The Consequences of “Ego”
Pride and arrogance act as “the great blinders,” distorting your perception of reality. When you Edge God Out, you decide to operate the complex machine of your lives without the manufacturer’s manual.
- In the Workplace: Arrogance creates an “Echo Chamber.” Leaders suffer from confirmation bias, seeking only information that proves them right. This leads to a Talent Drain, where high performers leave because they refuse to be mere tools for someone else’s ego.
- In the Work Itself: The quality of work suffers as others are in fear of contradicting you. The best solutions from others get missed out because of your Ego. People are made to believe by you that, “it is my way or no way!” Hence, they stop giving their best.
- At Home: The ego creates an “Emotional Distance.” If you are “God” at the office, it is nearly impossible to be a “Servant” at home. Relationships with family members become transactional. Communication breaks down as family members fear speaking with you because anything they say turns into debates rather than conversation.
Practical Steps Towards a Humble Life
Cultivating humility isn’t about self-beating; it is an “accurate self-assessment.” In a professional context, arrogance is a form of incompetence because it blinds you to your weaknesses as you feel “you know it all” and makes you uncoachable.
Humility, conversely, is a powerful move. It allows you to say, “I don’t know,” which is the prerequisite for learning.
To maintain this perspective, the first step is to be honest with yourself. Next look at a Weekly Humility Audit which acts as a Reality Check. Just three questions:
- The Spotlight Test: Did I give the credit to someone else or acknowledge the “unseen hands”?
- The Teachable Moment: Did I listen to someone “below” me on the organisation hierarchy?
- The Home Check: Was I a support to my family, or did I bring my office ego to the dinner table?
Use The P.A.U.S.E. Method to Cultivate Humility
To anchor the humility mode, use the P.A.U.S.E. method as a mental circuit breaker whenever you feel a surge of pride or the pressure to hang on to your ego:
- P – Ponder: Is it my achievement or God’s grace?
- A – Assess: Is my ego trying to “win” or “edging out” the truth?
- U – Understand: Be humble enough to accept the reality of the situation.
- S – Submit: Look up to God for guidance rather than relying on self-will.
- E – Exhale: Breathe out the pressure caused by ego and breathe in the peace of being blessed by the Divine.
The Power of Trusting the Source
When you trust in God, you are released from the need to be “The Source” yourself. This is where wonders happen. A leader who doesn’t care who gets the credit – because they know their value comes from a higher place rather than a quarterly report. They cannot be shamed by failure, because they aren’t intoxicated by success.
By putting your trust in God, you don’t lose your power; you finally find a power that won’t fail you when the money runs out or the talents fade. Trusting in the Divine makes you a conduit for a level of impact that no amount of ego could ever produce.
Give up the fragile “False Security” of the world for the unshakeable security with humility for a relationship with God.
Allow the grace of God to flow through you. Be the channel of his love to everyone around you.
