Summary In this episode, Liv and Meli discuss the concept of the ego and its role in our lives. They explore the idea that the ego is not inherently bad, but rather a necessary part of being human. They emphasize the importance of understanding and integrating the ego, rather than trying to eradicate it. They also discuss the need for external validation and how it relates to the ego. Overall, they encourage listeners to have a healthy relationship with their ego and recognize its role in shaping their identity and experiences. The conversation explores the importance of recognizing and integrating the ego rather than trying to eradicate it. It emphasizes the need to give ourselves permission to have needs and ask for help. Making a mess and taking risks is encouraged as a way to break patterns and learn. The key takeaway is that it's okay to be imperfect and make mistakes, as long as we have the courage to clean up and learn from them. Keywords ego, human experience, survival mechanism, external validation, integration, needs, connection, love, ego, integration, needs, asking for help, making a mess, courage, imperfection, learning Takeaways The ego is a survival mechanism that helps us navigate the human world. Trying to eradicate the ego is impossible and would mean eradicating our humanity. The ego is not inherently bad, but it can lead us astray when we become too attached to its demands. It's important to have a healthy relationship with the ego and recognize its role in shaping our identity and experiences. External validation is a basic human need, and it's okay to seek it. Understanding and integrating the ego is key to living a balanced and fulfilling life. Recognize and integrate the ego instead of trying to eradicate it Give yourself permission to have needs and ask for help Making a mess and taking risks is essential for growth and breaking patterns Embrace imperfection and have the courage to learn and clean up Sound Bites "A more adaptive way of considering the ego is to look at it as a child." "We find the middle point where we can say, okay, if I look at my ego as a child, that doesn't quite understand how to approach life holistically yet because they haven't had enough experience." "Meditation is this beautiful place for the soul and the ego to meet and have a conversation." "I could start to hear the seven-year-old girl that really just wanted her mom to tell her that she's so proud of her." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Weird Mood 06:02 Viewing the Ego as a Child 07:55 Finding the Middle Point with the Ego 11:15 The Fallacy of Eradicating the Ego 15:31 Making an Ally of the Ego 18:54 The Dance Between Ego and External Validation 23:24 The Need for External Validation 27:28 Ego and Needs: Synonymous 32:08 Navigating Ego-Driven Needs 40:30 The Dance of Ego and Soul: Meeting Your Needs 42:47 Permission to Have Needs and Ask for Help 44:32 Breaking Patterns: Doing Something Different 48:17 The Beauty of Making a Mess and Being Incompetent 53:17 Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion 55:57 Courage to Explore and Embrace All Aspects of Yourself 57:08 Outro (Show notes and captions are AI-assisted. All other content is human-made, original, and proprietary. The fact that we need to make this distinction is WILD!)