Here’s indications that your ego is in the way:

  • You have a hard time committing to a message or second guess: while this could be genuine uncertainty of the artifacts you received, what this could also be rooted in is a fear of failure, rooted in shame.

  • You hold back on acknowledged information: This is information you received but may not seem to have relevance or meaning or importance. It might even be confusing. But, just because it doesn’t belong there or make sense doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a place at the table. All information is created equal. If you are choosing to exclude pieces of information this is based out of the fear of being wrong- fear of failure, rooted in shame

  • Making information fit when it just doesn’t fit or adjusting the meaning that isn’t true to how it came through: fearing that people will see you as not credible or not skilled, fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of being wrong… rooted in shame

  • Have an ulterior motive that your abilities will change how people perceive you: I want to seem mysterious because I think I’m boring, I want people to think I’m special because I don’t think I’m special. These are based on a life seeking external acceptance in order to gain internal acceptance - a reality based in feeling inadequate or not enough. This can lay in the fear of embarrassment, rejection, shame