Ego - The Friend and the Foe?

Ego - The Friend and the Foe!

I like this story about  creation of this world and all its beings by God, because he was bored and needed some recreation. 

Thus human being is a creation of God. God put all the human ingredients in him - from intellect to desires and emotions and the story goes that if there has to be some drama on this beautiful earth for God's recreation, there had to be something which made it possible, therefore God decided give him "free will" - otherwise life on earth would have been dull and boring! 

So, every aspect of a human being is the creation of God. It was up to the human being to exercise his free will that would  determine who he turned up to be in his life!

If human being is the creation of God, then 'Ego' is also is the gift of God to a human being. If that be so, why this poor thing "ego" has been bashed and battered almost to the point of making it  a curse!?

Most of the writings -spiritual or scientific - say that 'ego' is the 'I' or 'self' ..... So things connected with  I or self  are manifestations of ego - such as  self-esteem,  self-pride, self-respect and self worth.

If these are the manifestations of ego' then why the poor 'ego' has been treated in a negative sense?

I venture to think that, ego per se.. is not  bad at all. I further venture to think that the size of the ego is what makes it either desirable or undesirable! The smaller it is..  we have a reasonable self- esteem, self- respect etc.. then the ego is  a nice friend (!)......but when it  grows out of proportion and  becomes huge... then the very same ego turns into a foe or fiend!

Self esteem, self confidence are pea nut size but once it blows up into a huge balloon, the same thing turns into vanity or arrogance.!!

Choice is ours. It is up to  us how we use 'ego' by exercise of our  'free will' given by god. God is after all smart... He has given everything..but has put that free will in us... It is entirely up to us whether we exercise our free will to keep the ego a'pea nut' or an 'over inflated balloon'. 

Caution: just a pin prick will burst the inflated balloon!

Choice is ours!!