Many people do not know, but the most significant deterrent to your success lies in

you: it's your ego. It keeps you from learning new things, hinders you from seeing
your mistakes and seduces you into believing you are better than everyone else. Do
not be fooled: he does not want you to succeed. The battle against the ego is
complicated, but we can not give up. If you want to learn some tactics not to be
dominated by your ego or if you want to find out how to be a better person and
achieve success with humility, read this microbook!Think Great But Have AttitudeOur
culture has raised a generation of people who believe they can achieve great things
with ease. And that, in fact, makes us weaker. Instead of working hard to win
things, we expect success in exchange for nothing. Apparently, everyone has talent
and potential, but that's just the beginning; What you generate from it is what
makes all the difference. Some valuable traits are humility, diligence, and self-
knowledge; they help you to improve. Thinking big is a good thing, but to achieve
what you want, you need to learn to live with little. Be focused on your education
and attitude, ignore any status and validations, keep your ego under control.Have a
Larger PurposeYouthful idealism is invaded by aspects of reality that redirect
people to do things to "be" someone. The ego is to blame for our change of thought.
We begin to pretend to be who we are not to achieve what we want. It is very easy
to be corrupted by your occupation.The ego tends to erase what matters and
systematically replace it with irrelevant things. The choices we have are based on
our purposes and what we believe to be our reason for living. What you choose to do
with your time and work, reflect who you will become. Let your purpose not be
selfish, but instead something greater than yourself. That is a much more authentic
path. Over time, things get easier because the choices will seem more obvious and
the rest may seem distracting and tempting. But all decisions will need to follow
strict guidelines, moral and values.Be An Eternal StudentAs a student, you are
aware that you are not better than your teacher. And it puts a roof over your ego,
keeping you from losing control. This allows you to respect your master and deserve
what you have achieved. There are no shortcuts to an education; it takes
persistence and hard work. Through mutual collaboration, the student and the
teacher can improve.Although greatness requires trust, it also needs humility. You
can not find answers to your questions if you are too arrogant to ask. Looking for
your flaws, you may be stronger. The ego will try to avoid negative or critical
feedbacks, which hinders you from reaching your potential. The ego is disconnected
from reality, giving us false feedback by making us believe that we do not need to
improve.Leave Passion BehindThere are many events, conferences, and workshops that
inspire passion. What people do not realize is that passion can be what hinders
you. Passion leads us to make mistakes. Passion comes from truth and good
intentions, but its results can be harmful.Passionate people are always busy with
some activity but rarely do they get anything. This is the paradox that passion
causes. Passion seems to disrupt our cognitive processes and can be a waste of
time. To achieve our goals, we need to have healthy doses of realism and a strong
sense of purpose. Purpose gives us passion, with limits and reality, allowing
unbiased perspectives. Realism enables you to ask the necessary questions, whose
answers will help you achieve your goals. Passion is usually naive and does not
take you very far. Leave passion for amateurs, for those who will never reach their
potentials. To do great things, you need to leave passion behind!Be An
ApprenticePeople usually feel nervous and devalued, forced to do things they do not
want, by working in exchange for payments or favors (as apprentices). While it is
not fun to serve others, the apprenticeship system was responsible for some of the
most significant visionaries that ever existed. A great example is Leonardo da
Vinci who was an apprentice. Those who became big needed to start somewhere. You
can not be big without first being small.Many young people do not want to suffer
the shame of serving others. However, you can think of it differently: you are no
slave to anyone; instead, you are offering support for someone to teach you and for
you to merit climbing. That means opening the way for the people above, to create a
path for you as well.This system reduces young people's ego to critical points,
allowing them to absorb the directions they receive. You will not be able to
conquer many things if you let your sense of superiority control your way of
working. Always looking for a way to help others, you will start to be
indispensable and learn a lot on the way. Everything you do for others can be seen
as an investment in your personal development. It is easy to be angry at
circumstances - the ego always chooses the easiest routes.Control
YourselfRegardless of what you have or how important you think it is, when you want
to do something great, you will be mistreated by people who do not care. Your ego
can inflate and wish to respond, but that is not the proper reaction. An ego is an
impulse that can have very adverse effects. Your ego feeds your indulgence and
wants you to respond to criticism. Those who want to achieve great things must
first learn to overcome difficulties. Use your time wisely, pay your debts and
develop into something better than you ever imagined.Live in reality and do not be
overwhelmed by imagination.Some teens believe the whole world is watching them.
Psychologists call this phenomenon "imaginary public," and adolescents are most
affected. However, this can continue into adulthood, and we give into our fantasy
our feelings of doubt, fear or normality. We are all likely to let our imaginations
rule our lives, and the more creative you are, the more tempted you are to make
that happen.We need to take control of our perceptions and not let our imagination
in power. It takes courage to live in reality, but ultimately, it's worth it. When
things are uncomfortable you know, they are real, and you can adjust your needs to
get where you want.Be Careful With Your PrideIn Christianity, pride is a sin.
Presumption and arrogance can lead a person to believe that it is better than
reality. You do not have to be religious to understand that pride can blind you and
keep you from seeing the truth. You need to keep your mind sharp to achieve great
things, but pride leaves your mind lazy and prevents you from getting anywhere. It
affects your most essential skills such as your ability to learn, adapt and
flexibility. It creates a barrier between you and reality, changing your
perception.Pride and ego go well together, and the results can be disastrous. Pride
is an emotional fraud; working hard and struggling, you will not need to cheat -
there should be no room for pride in your work. Pride leads you to a self-
satisfaction that becomes a disability. This feeling can make you delusional,
generating arrogance. Success should not ruin you, disrupt your judgment or let you
forget who you are. Pride disturbs your senses and fills you with negative
thoughts.Always Work HardMany great inventors, artists, and entrepreneurs have come
to the same conclusion: an idea is nothing without hard work. To achieve anything,
you need to work first, and that's the hard part. To get where you want, you do not
need to be brilliant, but you need ongoing effort and work. The idea may seem
annoying, but it is a motivation. That means success is available to everyone. What
we dream is within reach, because we only need to work to achieve. This concept
frustrates the ego since the ego likes to believe that it is already successful.
Our ego wants ideas and aspirations to be sufficient. He prefers credit, praise, or
status in place of true success. But in reality, that leads to nothing - we need to
put our energy into something to be successful.Be Humble And Learn To
AdaptKnowledge does not mean that we know everything, but that we accept the fact
that we know little. Understanding requires continuous and flexible learning.
Humility supports learning because it negates arrogance, which prevents us from
pursuing. Being humble will open your mind to new possibilities. Always try to
watch and listen, and in return, you are always improving. Do not just be a
student, in the beginning, adopt that mentality for life. And so you will be able
to learn from everyone and everything. Even if you learn something you already
know, do not let your ego keep you from practicing one more time.We like to
convince ourselves that we are so smart, that challenges are unnecessary. But in
fact, we are afraid of failures. Allow your mind and environment to change, look
for uncomfortable moments, and be a student who enjoys that feeling. Instead of
being an amateur on the defensive, realize that by trying, your possibilities will
be endless. Learn to change and adapt. People and businesses usually stagnate and
fail if they do not continually learn to improve and work with life's changes. Do
not live a life of ignorance, learn how to learn and be a lifelong student.Stop
Telling StoriesIt is part of human nature to want to create stories about what we
can do or will do. Unfortunately, they are usually lies, which can become
arrogance. Turning our lives into stories, we forget to live our lives. The
formation of an idea is a very messy situation; there are no bright moments in the
development of anything. Creating a narrative of a confused situation makes it seem
effortless and as if there is a clear path to follow, even when there is none. Life
does not support its plans; it is messy and unpredictable. There will be good and
bad times. You can not look back and say that it happened exactly as you wanted it
to happen. The only way to do great things in the world is to start with small
things and work to get at your big goals. There is nothing wrong with great
ambitions, but do not let your ego take control. Step by step and day by day, you
can work on great ideas. Maybe you'll change the world someday. Do not try to do
more than you can do; this is the way to failure. You need to work, be persistent,
dedicate yourself, and sometimes have a bit of luck.Do Not Worry About
ApprovalEverybody says 'yes,' sometimes when they do not want to say. Sometimes we
also spend time doing things we did not want to do, just to impress others. That is
the path followed by the ego, a wasted life worrying about what others see in us,
rather than worrying about our happiness. The ego corrupts all people; they change
their viewpoints and completely forget what they wanted before.When people achieve
success very early, they become confused about the original direction, and the ego
tends to take control, partly thanks to the influence of other people. As you
become successful, you will meet other successful people too, who will often make
you feel insignificant, as these people are controlled by their egos. And this is a
terrible cycle. Competition is good at a certain point and can even help people
achieve great things. However, as an individual, it is essential to know who you
are competing with and why you are competing. Do this for yourself, not for others.
You will not reach your real potential if you are seeking approval from others. The
ego cares very much about the opinions of others and only lives to achieve this
approval. Spend some time working on what is important to you. If you achieve
success only in the eyes of others, you will not be happy, and it will not be worth
it.Share Your Success, Don't Be SelfishSuccess usually gives you some power, and
power is one of the biggest disappointments. Power has three dangerous
characteristics: authority, control, and paranoia. It can cause anyone to lose
their perspective and lose the notion of reality. The ego is the enemy of all; it
will not only hurt you but also the people around you. Be smart and remember your
limits and failures.Authority, in this case, makes you see others as expendable,
and you as the most important person. It makes you believe that you have the right
to everything, even if you do not deserve it. Control makes you want to do
everything your way, even the little things. And the paranoia makes you believe
that you're alone.These bad feelings will make you a prisoner of your fears and
disappointments, causing chaos. And this is a terrible cycle, and once inside it,
it's hard to leave. Do not let your ego encourage your selfishness, remember that
we are all connected. Share your success and accomplishments with others and make a
better world out of it.Be Organized And Care For OthersWhen you are working alone,
clutter can be overcome by hard work or luck. But after a while, organization and
correct management are keys to success. Big companies with their cultures of order
and discipline may seem stifling, but that's the only way to work. You may have
good ideas, but if you are unable to organize, you will continue to have only
ideas.In big business, employees need direction and responsible management for
their superiors. If there is no accountability at the top, then the rest will fall
into chaos.Most creative people go against this idea. Many believe they can do
different things without order and control. However, there is a reason to find
order and control in every successful business: why it works! When all the people
involved work for the same goal, it can be achieved. Order must be prioritized over
your own desires. Disorganization usually arises from the ego, when you believe
that your way of doing things is right, regardless of the signs that are in front
of you.But how can you take care of other people if you are disorganized and
irresponsible? It's important to remember that you cannot stay static, your
responsibilities will grow with you. You need to be adaptable and keep upgrading.
Many decisions will be required if you want to lead others. Choose a system that
matches your way of working. Everyone needs to be managed; you can not do
everyone's work and still have time to focus on the whole.Your Effort Must Be
SufficientYou can not control the judgment of the world over your work. You can
control the work you do and how you present it, but the world can still turn
against you. Your ego needs to be under control so you can deal with that response.
You need to understand that doing your job well done should be enough, not for
others, but for you. If you have no control over the reward of your work and
effort, does that mean you will not do anything? The ego will want you to stop
trying if you know there is no guarantee of reward or recognition. However, many
great people in history have not received attention for their work but are still
remembered, after centuries. Do not let the results be your motivation, be
encouraged by your efforts. No doubt you will fail, but do not let that define you.
Rest assured that you have done your best to be who you want to be. Do not allow
the outside world measure your effort. The fact that you have tried and given your
best should be enough to propel you to continue.Avoid The Ego; It Is Your
EnemyThere will be hard times in life. Moments when you are alone against a world
of adversity. But, you know what? You can overcome this. All great people excelled.
And you're great; you have the potential to succeed and fail. You will do all these
things and start over. You can survive everything that stands in your way and is a
better version of yourself. There is no avoiding failure. We all experience failure
at some point. What matters is how you deal with the situation. Can you maintain
your integrity? Or do you choose to give up and be defeated? Remember that you can
learn much more from failure than from success. Mistakes are a form of education.
You will learn, grow, and figure out how to avoid the same error.Remember to avoid
ego. It will make things much more difficult. It will make your aspirations and
success much more difficult and will make the failure permanent. Try to understand
yourself better. Learn what drives you to work hard, what motivates you. Discover
your purpose and the ego will stay behind. All great men and women have something
in common: they suffered, and in their suffering, they found the tools and strength
to make them great.Final NotesThrough this book, we can see how the ego can be
harmful. Your ego will always confront you. And if you want to be successful, self-
knowledge is a critical point.Also, keep working hard; do not forget always to be a
student and seek to learn as much as you can from all people, someone still has
something new to teach. Be organized and do not let other people's opinions get you
on the road to success!12min tipIf you liked this title, what about checking the
microbook 'The challenges to willpower' of Kelly McGonigal? It explains a bit about
how to have more self-control and better master your mind!