What's your Ego's self-punishment of choice?

#430 – What's your Ego's self-punishment of choice?If, when things don't go as you wanted, you get upset or [fill in the blank], that might be your Ego punishing you.This morning, I wanted to work my six hours before 2:30 pm. By 11:45, I was doing gr...

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Sep 12, 2025
What will push you to bolt?

#427 – What will push you to bolt?"Never underestimate our inclination to bolt when we hurt."Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart.On Saturday, I attended my first Underearners Anonymous meeting. And boy, did I want to bolt.The "serenity prayer" (whic...

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Sep 10, 2025
How else are you killing your prosperity?

#427 – How else are you killing your prosperity?When a puppy's trapped, she's afraid. If someone gets closer to help her leg out of the trap, she'll growl and show her teeth. She thinks she's protecting herself, but she's only prolonging her str...

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Sep 09, 2025
Ego, Ego on the wall, who's the smartest of them all?

#426 – Ego, Ego on the wall, who's the smartest of them all?The Ghost of Need to Prove is a foundational part of the underearner's mindset.When we obey this Ghost's orders, at least 78% of our mind power goes into "proving" our knowledge, qualif...

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Sep 08, 2025
How do you tell someone they have a problem?

#425 — How do you tell someone they have a problem?Thinking that you need to tell someone they have a problem is, within the category of contempt, the worst offender.Because, what, you think they don’t know? Are you that arrogant?I am—well, my Ego is...

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Sep 07, 2025
Why does transparency make your Ego cringe?

#425 – Why does transparency make your Ego cringe?Reflecting on how I've told my son things in recent weeks, I realized I'd been "violent" (not "nonviolent") in my communication. Nonviolent communication is based on the idea that you say what's going...

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Sep 06, 2025
How do you relate to "I want?"

#424 – How do you relate to "I want?"Until yesterday, I had no idea I was a compulsive eater. Listening to Geneen Roth's Women, Food, and God, I learned I am one. Of the "restricter" type, specifically.I love lists, rules, regimens (in fact, the...

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Sep 05, 2025
What happens when your fear is justified?

#422 – What happens when your fear is justified?Ego-driven fear, I've maintained, is never justified. What about fear of real death?Yesterday I had a weight-lifting accident. I was doing squats with a 45-pound barbell, and two 25 pound-plates. D...

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Sep 03, 2025