One of my favorite movies of all time is the Titanic. I love the Titanic for two reasons, one being the hot and beautiful Jack Dawson also known as Leonardo DiCaprio and it being such a great hopeless romantic flick. Jack was this poor guy who won a ticket to board a cruise to America in a gambling match. On the ship, he meets the love of his life Rose, a rich woman already engaged to a wealthy business man.
Jack falls in love with Rose at first sight and decides she was the one for him disregarding her fiancé. After some hot and steamy quality time, Rose falls in love and is torn between love and tradition. To fast forward, the ship, called “Titanic” hits an iceberg and starts to fill with water. Now, thousands of people on board are stuck in the middle of the freezing ocean scared for their lives. This tragedy brought out the ugliness in many of the characters. People started to fight and kill each other to save their own life. At the very end, when Rose realized she may die, she chose to leave her fiancé and be with Jack.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and watched it countless of times, I did not reference it because of the romance. I suddenly realized that the real problem that occurred on the ship way before the ship hits the iceberg, occurred in the Captain's mind.
In Eckhart Tolle's book “A New Earth: Awakening Your Life’s Purpose”, he discusses that since the beginning of time, the human race has been controlled and conditioned by its "egoic mind." In other terms, the ego is the loud speaker in your head that always thinking of something negative and controlling your emotions. It is always reminding you of your dark past and discouraging you from your promising future. It loves confrontations, arguments, and power amongst many other toxic things.
In order for the ego mind to stay in control it has to keep its strength. It constantly sends negative reminders which triggers negative emotions that successfully fuels energy to the ego.
Energy is what keeps all things alive.
In Titanic, the true problem hid very subtly in the captain’s egoic mind. He was advised of the danger ahead and the only option to save the ship would be to turn he ship around. However, his pride/egoic mind wanted to prove himself and its work amongst his rich peers. He only thought of his reputation and how people would deem the Titanic as a failure, if the trip was aborted. Indeterminately, he continued to sail knowing it was dangerous.
Do you see how the ego works? Even though there is evident danger ahead, it ignores because it craves power, attention, and self-praise.
The captain ignores his intuition and hits the iceberg so hard that the iceberg splits in half.
To fast forward a little more, the ship start to overtake with water. Now the captain is sweating bullets because his precious baby that he built is indefinitely going to sink and kill thousands of people. If only he had had controlled over the voice in his head that is always against better judgement; he could have saved himself, others, and his ship.
But he lost it all.
So you maybe wondering what this has to do with you? Although, the captain killing thousands of people is extreme, the same mental setbacks he experienced, we as a whole share. It can be as simple as over eating or drastic as an addiction.
So how to stop such self destructive patterns and become in control?
The first way is to become aware of your ego’s negative thoughts. Realizing that those thoughts are not who you truly are. Who you truly are can not be described or thought. You are a spiritual being and adding words to define your spiritual realm only confines you in a small box. When you become aware of who is talking in your head, whether it is your ego or your higher inner self, their power strengthens or lessens. When you realize that the negative thoughts you think are in no real correlation with your true inner spirit values, the power of those thoughts weakens.
The second way is to become present. You can do a "grounding check-in” which is the best technique to becoming present. Look around and see where you are, listen to your surroundings, breathe in and smell the scents, taste your saliva, feel how your feet feel on the ground or clothes on your body. Focusing completely on your five senses will bring you out of your mind and into the present moment.
Every time you notice your ego trying to take control of your mood, emotions, or mind, simply count to 10 and do a grounding check-in. Soon the present moment will take full control and your ego will have little to no power. You no longer have to be lead by your mixed emotions which leads to uncontrollable behavior. You can be the front runner of your ship.
In the bible, one of Jesus last words while nailed to cross, bleeding profusely and whipped like a slave, he said, “Forgive them father, for they know not what they do.” The ego is so strong that people will behave in such manners that is totally identified with their ego. Allowing them to self-sabotage, kill others or kill themselves, and be out of alignment with their destiny.
Do not let your egoic mind be the captain of your ship. The creator of the world is the captain of your ship and you must listen to your inner higher self that guides us in right direction. You must silence those voices of negativity. They only wants you to hit an iceberg and self destruct.
If you allow God to become the captain of your ship, he will bring you to your every heart’s desires. All you have to do is become aware, stay present, and allow God to handle the rest.
