What Do You Really Want? Ego vs. Soul
Crystal Kulpcavage is a renowned life, career, leadership coach and strategist as well as a Reiki Master and spiritual counselor with over a decade of experience coaching high-performing women to achieve true fulfillment and sustainable success. Through her coaching and healing practice, A Sense of Purpose, Crystal has helped her clients improve their quality of life by up to 70% and their career satisfaction by up to 80%. Learn more at www.seekingasenseofpurpose.com.
As I sat there on the couch, staring into the burgundy sludge at the bottom of my wine glass, I wondered where I had gone wrong. I created all I had wanted for myself and more. Successful career? Check. Loving family? Check. Beautiful home? Check. Brand new car? Check. Why did I feel so miserable?
I wanted more, but I didn’t know what that meant. I had no idea where to begin, and I certainly didn’t have the time or the energy to figure it out.
What was so confusing to me back then is now crystal clear (pun intended). As it turns out, I had spent the first few decades of my life tending to the needs of my ego, while completely ignoring the needs of my soul. The result? A life that looked great from the outside, but felt empty on the inside.
When you are driven by your ego, you focus on certain aspects of life. Think accomplishment, security, recognition, and validation. I call this outer success.
There’s nothing wrong with having a strong desire for outer success, but if we only focus on this, we begin to feel like a shell of a human being operating on autopilot. Sooner or later we become drained and can feel burned out.
Your soul drives inner success. Your soul craves connection – connection with one another, connection with God/Source/Universe, connection with nature, connection with yourself. The soul desires self-expression and creativity. Think about creating art, writing, or being fully seen and accepted for who you are. Service is also important to the soul. It desires to make a difference and give.
Your soul is focused on who you are being; that is, how you are showing up. Your ego is focused on what you are doing.
Fulfillment comes from having a balance of both inner and outer success, nurturing the soul and the ego.
Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve accomplished in your day so far. What percentage of your actions have been ego-driven? Soul-driven? I’d bet the former runs the show.
Self-reflection can help in shifting from ego to soul. Here are a few questions to answer in your journal.
- What kind of person do I want to be?
- How do I want to be remembered?
- How do I enjoy expressing myself?
- What do I believe in spiritually?
- How can I act according to my spiritual beliefs?
- What am I afraid to admit to myself?
- What do I want to be loved and accepted for?
- Who do I want to spend more time with?
- Who do I want to serve?
- What can I offer the people I serve?
Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer, and it’s normal for your answers to change as you evolve. Don’t wait until you have the perfect answer. Just get enough clarity to make a move forward. Any move will feel better than standing still.
TAKE ACTION: If you’re looking for more clarity on how to create a deeper sense of purpose in your life, check out my Meant For More? guide. It clearly defines the path to satisfying your ego and your soul.
Fulfillment comes from having a balance of both inner and outer success, nurturing the soul and the ego.
Crystal Kulpcavage is a master at connecting with you on a soul level, holding space for vulnerable conversations, and seeing you what you cannot see… your pain, your fears, your self-sabotaging habits… as well as your strengths, your value and your potential.
She will teach you how to maximize your resources and opportunities, inspire you, and keep you moving forward. Most importantly, she will not let you give up on yourself. Sign up for a no-cost consultation to learn how her coaching programs can lead you to back to your most powerful and authentic self. Your Life. Your Dreams. Your Terms. No Regrets.
Read more from Crystal Kulpcavage or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or her website.
