Park My Ego At The Door

“Everything is wrong with this place. My computer is too slow and even the air conditioning is not working.”

Those words whizzed through the air like scud missals! I knew they were intended to shock and intimidate me; but in that emotional moment I knew I was simply the target for the release of someone’s frustration and unresolved anger. My gut reaction was to retaliate and fire words of defense. But through a series of past, painful experiences I learned that being a Godly leader and woman of influence meant learning to “park my ego at the door.”

For over thirty years I was the only woman in the boardroom. For ten of those years I ran a large law firm and chaired the monthly boardroom meetings. For over twenty years I was a Controller for two car dealership franchises and again, the only woman in the weekly boardroom meetings. It was obvious that when I allowed my selfish, pleasure-seeking ego (pride) to dominate the agenda and conversations, an ugly tension always permeated the room. I am a strong leader and I like to win, but God showed me a different way.
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I am grateful for my two accountability partners that allow me to engage them in exercises designed to bring wisdom and clarity into our spiritual journeys. During one of our “accountability meetings” all three of us agreed that pride is a huge stumbling block and we came up with a plan to identify this ugliness. We made an agreement that each time something or someone chipped away at our pride, we would say “ka-ching” and keep a record of the event. After a month of this humbling and revealing exercise, I was shocked to find the number of times I allowed my ego to dominate my feelings and leave me feeling misunderstood. Inadequate. Unworthy. Somewhere on my spiritual journey I forgot that God makes us all unique and He has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. This little “ka-ching” exercise affirmed that everything in life is not about me and that pride is an ugly stumbling block sabotaging God’s best plan for my life

I like to get things done. Goals, agendas and deadlines need to be followed and adhered to. Confrontations and disagreements are a part of life. If I allow my brittle, flimsy and selfish ego to rule my days, and dominate conversation, I will miss out on the pleasure of achieving the kind of accomplishments that God designed specifically for me.

The kind that brings me ultimate fulfillment and joy. But I must always remember that my greatest goal is to pour God’s love and grace onto everyone I meet. That means taking a deep breath, parking my ego at the door, and remembering that we are all God’s creatures desperately trying to find our value and place in this world.

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