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Perched above the door was an old piece of bronze in the shape of a hand, with an inscription on it: “Good fortune is given to those who come in need, and found when one is within.” This tempered my apprehension a little. Creaking open the huge wooden safeguard that held my treasure-laden mind in wonder, was it, “Welcome to Paradise,” or “Welcome to My Nightmare” . . . ? ~ An excerpt from my book Ace Egos

‍A Fire in the Ego

Everyone’s interested in their own Story just as much as you are interested in yours. Even just considering that when you talk to someone will shift your mood, and enrich the interaction you are having with them. It also means that you can believe in the beauty and wonder of your Story. Trust that. And be filled with joy because of that.

Everyone trying to ‘out-Story’ each other can however, get a little out of hand. It can be frustrating when you are in a conversation and the other person talks only about themselves. They might even ask you a question, allow you to answer for five seconds, then jump in about themselves again.

Being present for oneself and for others is key to making conversation meaningful. Sometimes it can be a mutual exchange of ideas. But when it falls into that frustrating dismissive one-way thread from the other person, it can be very helpful to drop gently into reminding oneself that ‘communication is service.’ It is serving the well-being of others. Of relationship. Of community. And when we drop into this warm and generous space, it also greatly serves the well-being of ourselves. It allows us to be more open, understanding, perceptive, and peaceful. It calms the damaging fire of the ego. And it only takes one move on your part: To just listen.

The Hand of Irulegi

‍In 2021, there was an old bronze hand found in Basque Country. Inscribed on the Hand are characters that represent the oldest example of Basque language, from around 80 BCE. The only characters that have been recognised so far have translated to: ‘Good Fortune.’ One theory about the purpose of the Hand is that it was a symbol of protection and welcoming, which was placed above the door of people’s homes. This might be replicating an old Basque custom, which was to place a Sunflower above one’s door to their home, for this exact reason.

In the book Ace Egos, I have included this bronze Hand in Chapter 1. It marks a welcoming into the book. It is also to connect the reader with the feeling of having an ally. And it gives the journey of the Story a feeling of protection.

We travel life with a home inside us. The home of our hearts. If we remain mindful of our heart serving the community; guided by the two qualities, or powers, of being welcoming and being protective, we can facilitate healthy and nourishing interactions with others. It is what helps build a community of trust, cooperation, and value for ourselves and for all beings in our community and around the world.

‍The Sunflower of Your Love

In our inner-world, there is an unfolding Story. That we can be present in, and we can delight in. Then there are ‘expectations.’ When we look at how ‘expectations’ operate within us, it can be quite humorous. First, it’s all based on nothing really substantial. So a narrative gets created out of that, which has absolutely no grounding in anything. Second, we start to build a team of ‘for and against’ or ‘me versus them’ – on top of this already completely made up narrative, belief, or expectation. Our brain can really be at the mercy of these monsters.

But of course, with development of awareness; and with deliberate action of being welcoming of others, while protecting oneself, we can start to change this tune. Protecting oneself is not to say that we must be tense and cautious at all times. It is about choosing what energies (internally and externally), and more directly, what people we allow into our lives. It would be helpful that every person was respected for who, how, and why they are. But not every person has to be our ‘best buddy.’ If we choose what our family – our community – looks like, we are valuing ourselves as the centre of our own Story. From this centre out, we can communicate with others.

Whether people want to hear our Story or not, all that matters is that our Story is important to ourselves. We can hold this in our hearts, which provides the inspiration to make every day the best day ever. Every one we see, everything we experience, are the beautiful details of this miracle that presents itself before us. And so our Story opens up like a flower. This ‘flower’ of our expression is our gift to the world.

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