<video><title>An Uncommonly Fine Life - Chapter 3 - Lose your Self-Importance</title><description>A book about principles for living a happy and fulfilled life</description><transcript><transcript><line from="00:00:00,000" to="00:00:04,000">Chapter three, lose yourself importance.</line><line from="00:00:04,000" to="00:00:08,000">Have you ever noticed just how much work it is feeling self-important?</line><line from="00:00:08,000" to="00:00:12,000">What does it feel like to be constantly seeking approval?</line><line from="00:00:12,000" to="00:00:18,000">How much energy do you spend in your day seeking approval that never satisfies even when you do get it?</line><line from="00:00:18,000" to="00:00:22,000">Most of us spend a large amount of time of our lives doing this.</line><line from="00:00:22,000" to="00:00:24,000">It's exhausting, isn't it?</line><line from="00:00:24,000" to="00:00:29,000">Feeling self-important is the ego's way of feeling safe in a chaotic world.</line><line from="00:00:29,000" to="00:00:33,000">It's a set of armor that protects us from feeling vulnerable.</line><line from="00:00:33,000" to="00:00:37,000">It's a strategy for feeling like we have control over our lives.</line><line from="00:00:37,000" to="00:00:41,000">It's a way of feeling special, unique, and important.</line><line from="00:00:41,000" to="00:00:47,000">But it's also a strategy that's completely insecure and completely unfulfilling.</line><line from="00:00:47,000" to="00:00:51,000">When we're feeling self-important, we're trying to fit in with the status quo.</line><line from="00:00:51,000" to="00:00:54,000">We're trying to live up to other people's expectations.</line><line from="00:00:54,000" to="00:00:57,000">We're trying to control things that are outside of our control.</line><line from="00:00:57,000" to="00:01:01,000">We're trying to fit in to be like everyone else, to be approved of, to be liked, to be loved.</line><line from="00:01:01,000" to="00:01:05,000">And that's a big burden to carry around all the time.</line><line from="00:01:05,000" to="00:01:11,000">Feeling self-important can also be a sneaky way of not dealing with your own internal issues.</line><line from="00:01:11,000" to="00:01:16,000">If you're always trying to fit in, trying to please everyone, trying to control things.</line><line from="00:01:16,000" to="00:01:20,000">It distracts you from actually dealing with your own issues.</line><line from="00:01:20,000" to="00:01:26,000">If you're always busy trying to please other people, you can avoid dealing with your own inner demons.</line><line from="00:01:26,000" to="00:01:30,000">The truth is the status quo is comfortable and easy.</line><line from="00:01:30,000" to="00:01:32,000">It's safe.</line><line from="00:01:32,000" to="00:01:34,000">But it's also an illusion.</line><line from="00:01:34,000" to="00:01:36,000">It's not real.</line><line from="00:01:36,000" to="00:01:40,000">Feeling self-important is a strategy for feeling in control and safe in a chaotic world.</line><line from="00:01:40,000" to="00:01:46,000">And although it can be comforting, it's a strategy that's not conducive to happiness.</line><line from="00:01:46,000" to="00:01:48,000">In fact, it's quite the opposite.</line><line from="00:01:48,000" to="00:01:50,000">But what's the alternative?</line><line from="00:01:50,000" to="00:01:53,000">The alternative is to let go of self-importance.</line><line from="00:01:53,000" to="00:01:58,000">To become aware of the world around you, and to let go of your own preconceived notions of it.</line><line from="00:01:58,000" to="00:02:00,000">To see the world with new eyes.</line><line from="00:02:00,000" to="00:02:03,000">To stop trying to fit in with the status quo.</line><line from="00:02:03,000" to="00:02:05,000">To stop trying to control your environment.</line><line from="00:02:05,000" to="00:02:08,000">To stop pretending to be something you're not.</line><line from="00:02:08,000" to="00:02:12,000">And to start living in harmony with the natural flow of the universe.</line><line from="00:02:12,000" to="00:02:16,000">To start living with intention instead of trying to fit in.</line><line from="00:02:16,000" to="00:02:20,000">To start embracing your uniqueness instead of trying to blend in.</line><line from="00:02:21,000" to="00:02:25,000">To start seeing the world as it is instead of as you think it is.</line><line from="00:02:25,000" to="00:02:31,000">To start seeing the world through your own eyes instead of through the eyes of others.</line><line from="00:02:31,000" to="00:02:34,000">To stop worrying about things you have no control over.</line><line from="00:02:34,000" to="00:02:39,000">And to start seeing what you can control and change yourself.</line><line from="00:02:39,000" to="00:02:45,000">To stop trying to live up to other people's expectations and start living up to your own.</line><line from="00:02:45,000" to="00:02:47,000">How do you do that?</line><line from="00:02:47,000" to="00:02:49,000">The only way to do that is to be aware.</line><line from="00:02:50,000" to="00:02:55,000">The only way to feel safe in this chaotic world is to be aware of all the elements that make up the world.</line><line from="00:02:55,000" to="00:02:59,000">To see the world as it is and not as you think it is.</line><line from="00:02:59,000" to="00:03:01,000">And to see the world through your own eyes.</line><line from="00:03:01,000" to="00:03:05,000">Intentionally, being aware is the only way to keep from being self-important.</line></transcript></transcript></video>