For people who do not walk the spiritual path, they never even think about their ego. They never even question why they are trying to look good, be smarter, know more, make more money, or become more respected than someone else. All they do is to do what they do, trying to be the most that they can be.
 
On the spiritual path, however, this mindset is highly looked down upon. One is taught not to put their ego first. To keep it in check. In fact, they are schooled in the ideology that doing things with ego as the basis is, in fact, wrong; not good.
 
Right now, think about your own life. How much time do you spend getting dressed in the morning; choosing just the right clothing so you will look the way you want to look? How much time do you spend working with your hair? How much time do you spend putting on your makeup? And, so forth.
 
But, even more than that, how much time do you spend thinking that you know something that someone else does not known? That you are somehow more knowledgeable than someone else? That you are somehow right, when someone else is wrong? That you are better, based in whatever ideology that you hold—better than someone else?
 
You see, ego is a very sublet element of life. It is a subject that few people dive into. They are simply driven by the desire to be better, prettier, smarter, richer, more loved, and/or more. How about you? How much did do you spend checking your ego? How much time do you spend holding yourself back, to keep yourself from doing ego-based things? For most, it is never.
 
Have you ever done something like put on a piece of clothing and think that you look really good wearing it? But then, maybe you spill something on it, and it has a big stain. Have you ever perhaps wore a style of clothing that you think makes you look really cool wearing it, but then people make fun of you? All of this and more is a byproduct of you basing your life on your ego.
 
Truly, how often do you ask yourself the question, “Is what I am doing based in ego or is it based in a sense of purity?”

What it really comes down to is, what are you doing and why are you doing it? Can you be honest enough with yourself to answer that question truthfully?
 
Do you want to be a better person? Do you want to be a more spiritual person? Do you want to make this world a better place-based from your position in it? If you do, the first thing you need to do, is to check your ego and stop yourself from doing anything based in your ego. Can you do that?