Ego versus soul
A felt division in business
The Sustainable Solopreneur is a weekly newsletter about seasonal, cyclical, supportive business strategy for solopreneurs and creative souls who want more out of life than the status quo, hosted by business coach and strategist Jenni Gritters.
I spent a week in bed with pneumonia and while there, I read Mary Magdalene, Revealed. As you may know, I have a religious background but I fully left the church in my twenties. Reading this book about what was left out of the bible (feminine, cyclical, individual-centered spirituality!) was a healing experience for me.
The book also put words to a division I've been feeling in business, that I want to share with you today.
In the book, the author explains that there are two "come froms" for behavior: The soul and the ego. Obviously, the ego is talked about often in spiritual practice; it's usually defined as the part of your brain that mediates between your conscious and unconscious states. It's the part that comes up with stories about your existence and, often, creates your identity.
The soul, on the other hand, is thought of as an eternal element that gives life to your human body. In the book of Mary, she defines it as "of the heart." In my experience, the soul is where we hear the whispers of knowing that can help us feel calm in an otherwise chaotic world. It's The Truth.
Many of you are here because you're looking for a fresh perspective on business. Likely, you're tired of the ego. By that I mean: Our egos are the ones that go into constant lack mode and cause the panic that pushes us into get-get-get transactionality. Ego is the reason for capitalism. Ego drives seeking hierarchical power. Ego is the motivator, most likely, when your business is entirely centered around money and whether or not people like you.
And ego isn't wrong; it's a normal part of being a messy human! It's a place we go really naturally. But it's also a place that leaves us breathless, chasing hungry ghosts.
When your business comes from a soul-led approach -- which is likely what you're looking for, if you're in my world -- you're building from a place of love (love for yourself and love for other people). You're asking what would benefit the greater good. You're taking bold action even when it scares you. You spend time in stillness, listening. You're moving from your heart, not your mind.
This distinction helps me understand why a lot of the business advice out there rubs me the wrong way: Because it's coming from a place of ego, and the person delivering that advice isn't aware of their come-from.
What I want? I want businesses led by poets and artists and healers and magic-wielders. I want businesses that feel like expressions of our souls, meant to help others and built to love ourselves, too.
So how do we move more from the soul and less from the ego? The process is all about the five principles of sustainable solopreneurship that you’ll get to read about soon in my forthcoming book:
Intention
Creativity
Self awareness
Flexibility
Reciprocity
These are principles we see in nature all the time. And you know why nature can be in these modes? Because nature doesn't have ego. Nature is all energy. And yes, likely all soul, too.
There's this dance of not shaming ourselves for our ego-led decisions (because as I said before, it's the most human thing we do) while also bringing ourselves back and asking: Wait, what if there's a different way here? Once we ask that question, we take two deep breaths and begin again. We come from a different place.
The final thing I'll say here is that I know this might sound like spiritual/ psychological babble, and perhaps it is. But coming from a soul place is also the most practical way I know to approach business going forward. AI can mimic ego; it's built to do that. But it cannot mimic soul.
The era ahead will be tough on small businesses. The ones who survive? It's going to be about story and soul. I'll meet you in the place where we build from there.
Curious about my background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that supports your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), or follow me on LinkedIn & Instagram.