In our quote from Lao Tzu for this video, he says “The ego is entranced by ... names

and ideas... However names and concepts only block your perception of this Great Oneness”.

Taoism believes that everything is connected. We are connected

to the universe but the universe does not consist of names and permanent attributes.

Instead, it changes and shifts with the times. The same goes for us: so how could we ever identify

with all our impermanent attributes and flow along with the universe? Quite simply, we can’t. Thus

focusing solely on one’s ego makes one blind to the greater picture of connection and oneness.

Focusing on our ego leads to overidentifying with unimportant aspects of ourselves. Our jobs,

hobbies, status, possessions and appearances are not a clear picture of who we are. This

means that ourselves, as we see it, are dependent on things that are impermanent.

What if you lose your job, interest in a hobby, status, possessions or looks?

Do you stop being you? Of course not. But if we have been overly focused on our ego,

we might feel like we do. Thus we become obsessed with remaining the same, with holding onto those

things that we think define us. This causes stress, worry and resistance. It is, again,

like holding onto a branch with all our might to avoid being taken along the course of the

river - just because we have convinced ourselves that we are a type of person who belongs in this

part of the river only. We will never see the scenery beyond the part of the river

where we force ourselves to stay, no matter how beautiful it might be around the corner.

If we learn to recognize the beauty in impermanence, change, and flow,

we will find that letting go of our ego is freeing. It will not feel like a loss,

but like a gain. It will teach us to find peace and happiness wherever and however we end up,

no matter what. Letting go of your ego is akin to ‘letting go of who you are, so that you can

become who you might be’, as a famous quote by Lao Tzu says. Being who you are is not something you

can chase or permanently achieve, but just something you are continuously becoming.

Thus, when you manage to let go of your ego,

you can learn how to find and know yourself in whatever circumstance. You will be at harmony

with the universe in a way which you could not before. And, most importantly,

rather than being stressed and struggling, you will find yourself relaxed and at peace.