Recently I received an email from someone who made an observation. He said, "Why is it that there are so many people reading spiritual books and talking about spirituality and not practicing what they have learned." "They just don't get it," he said. After thinking about his comment for awhile I responded back to him with some very interesting concepts I had learned about the ego. Basically our mind has created our ego, or our sense of who we are and what we represent. When ever we encounter anything that is different from what we believe to be true or what our ego deems as "right", we get upset and judgemental. It is important to know that mind created ego. So the mind will do what ever it can to preserve it's creation. Much the same as a parent taking care of their child. This is why the ego is so stubbornly lodged. All of us on this spirital path backslide, or do things we are not proud of and are not in alignment with how we want to be. Why is that? The answer to this question is that our spirit has no idea that ego exists. Spirit is all loving, all kind, and sees only the good in everyone and everything. So you see, if spirit were running you and not your ego then this is the way you would see things. Basically if you are noticing that someone isn't behaving spiritually correct, then your ego has found yet another way to control you. It is a sneakly little bugger. It will find a way to exist even trying to agree with your new found spiritual practices. The ego will make you feel superior and will also make you notice that other people are not practicing what they have learned. If spirit were in charge you would see nothing but the good in everyone and everything. My friend was stupified and humbled at the same time. Here he thought he had conquered his ego and was noticing all these other people who were not practicing what they were learning. What is one to do? Basically all you can do is observe it. Everytime you act in a way that is not how you want to be know that it isn't you, it is your ego. Tell yourself, "That is my ego, and ask spirit to come into your being. Little by little your ego will lose it's grip and spirit, which is your natural state will start to run things. Instead of beating ourselves up and trying to control all of our thoughts start to practice self love. Gently remind yourself when ever you are not pure positive love that this is just your ego, which your mind has created. Little by little the awareness will set in and spirit will take over and return you to the natural state which is love. No work involved, it is who we all are naturally.