This post marks the beginning of Act IV of our journey as we learn about the foundational elements of Zen Buddhism. I am excited to begin this act because it focuses heavily on ego and ambition. It is vital to learn about these concepts because how we control them within our societal environment directly impacts our ability to succeed, at least according to our Western view of success.
As a reminder, my goal with Zennado is to discuss Zen philosophy and bring aspects of this practice to our Western way of life. It is my opinion that learning and understanding these elements will help you succeed in your career, your personal life, and your romantic life, allowing you to grow within your own state of being.
Now then, what is this useful servant?
The ego can be an excellent servant to us, but it can also become a dangerous master. Learning how to wield the ego allows you to brandish it when needed. Knowing how it works and how to control it prevents it from taking over the driver’s seat.
Throughout our careers and social lives, we frequently face the need to call upon our egos to demonstrate to our peers that we are capable of competitive feats. What do I mean by this? When you are at work, you are constantly compared to your colleagues. Being able to outperform others and showcase your results can easily feed the ego, and it generally goes against the traditional idea of Zen. However, in the corporate world, it is important to distinguish yourself from the rest of the team. This differentiation is exactly what results in raises, bonuses, and promotions.
I will give you a personal example from my own career. As a claims professional handling high-severity bodily injury claims and complex lawsuits, I focus intensely on providing a quality investigation, a detailed damage analysis, and a highly documented negotiation plan. Because of this sharp focus, I often end the month with the most claim closures on the team. I won professional accolades because of this, and I would often (playfully) boast about it around my colleagues.
I would jest and jab with them during team meetings where we discussed current team status and monthly closures. Every month there would be a winner for metric-based accolades, and on a team of nine other adjusters, I would win six out of the twelve months because I consistently focused on resolving claims efficiently and thoroughly.
I knew that using my ego as a targeted tool would land me promotions, and it did. I was able to leverage my quality claim handling skills to move companies and secure salary and title increases that I would have likely not otherwise been able to get. Using your ego when it is appropriate is very important if you value climbing the corporate ladder. This is not to say that professional status or financial raises are what you should desire, but rather, the ego is a highly useful tool if that is a path you wish to seek out.
Transformative Egos
However, you must be incredibly wary when using your ego for self-gain. It is dangerously easy for the ego to quietly take over your subconscious mind. If you are not entirely careful and deliberate when you utilize your ego, you may find yourself saying and doing things that you would normally be fundamentally against, just to satisfy a sudden desire for corporate improvement.
Do not allow the ego the satisfaction of becoming. Instead, discipline yourself and your ego into knowing that it is simply a temporary tool used to get a specific job done. Then, it goes right back in the box.
When you leave the office, close your laptop, or finish that high-stakes meeting, you must practice the art of putting the tool away. If you keep the scalpel out all day, you will eventually cut yourself or the people you love. The magic lies in your fluidity, knowing when to wear the professional mask to play the corporate game, and knowing exactly when to take it off.
The Rock and the Stardust
You are not your ego. You are not your job, your title, your salary, or any other Westernized label that we have attached to ourselves over the years. You are none of those things. You are not even your name. Whatever you call yourself, or whatever other people happen to call you, is entirely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
What you truly are is a piece of the universe. You are stardust reassembled for the time being to enjoy its surroundings, eventually to be returned to stardust when your time is up.
Think about a rock on the ground. You do not point at a random rock and pick out a name for it, at least I hope you don’t. That rock does not have a resume, a job title, or a savings account. Yet, it has the exact same core purpose that you do: to exist, to endure, and to be a part of its surroundings.
The universe does not care about your settlement ratios, your corporate accolades, or how many emails you answered today. There is an immense sense of relief hidden in that reality. You can play the corporate game fiercely and successfully during the day precisely because you know, at a cosmic level, that the game does not define your worth. Wield your ego to build the life you want, but never let the servant become the master.
Let’s Reflect
Think about the last time you accidentally brought your workplace ego home to your dinner table, your partner, or your personal free time. What is one practical boundary you can set tonight to ensure that tool goes back in the box the moment your workday ends?