The Battle of Ego and Essence

I was listening to an audio masterclass the other day. Canadian singer and songwriter, Shawn Mendez, was the host. 

It is always interesting learning about people’s journey to and with success. Getting there is half the challenge. Remaining successful is the other half. We don’t hear enough about that second part of the journey, and this was Shawn Mendez’s primary focus.  

During this segment, one thing in particular struck me as quite profound. 

He talked about the battle he has between ego and essence when he performs. His ego is in it for the reward at the end of it, but his essence is about the love of performing. 

When his ego sets in, like many of us, he is in his head and puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants the performance to be a huge success and for people to love it. As he states, it provides proof that he is worthy to be on stage performing.  

On the other hand, when he is aligned with his essence, he remembers that he performs because he loves music and the meaning of it. He connects with his love of music. The outcome of the show doesn’t seem to matter any more. He is in the moment, enjoying it. As a result, he always has the best performances and walks off the stage feeling great.  

As I listened to this, I couldn’t help but wonder how many times in my life I have fixated on the end result. Rather than putting the enjoyment of the process or experience first and foremost, I put a lot of pressure on myself, “needing” a successful outcome. In turn, fear sets in. I become anxious, distracted and disconnected. I'm not doing it for the right reasons.  

While I am no Shawn Mendez, I can understand the struggle. I think we all can. 

It isn’t an easy thing to do, to let go of the outcome, and enjoy the process.  

However, as I have more recently learned, when I focus more on the process and less on the outcome, the result is always better than what I originally hoped for.   

So, as a challenge this week, when we feel the pressure to perform well at work or in life, try to remember Shawn Mendez, and tap into the essence of the moment.