Strength TogetHER 15 - Session 9

January 22, 2022

Self-respect is a desirable trait, while ego is a negative trait!

To explore different points of view, thoughts, experiences, and stories, 'Strength TogetHER,' a girls-only peer-to-peer self-development group supervised by 'Lokopakar,' an organization that supports youth development through a range of activities, was founded. This virtual platform encourages girls from all walks of life to thrive as individuals by providing a safe area for them to simply be themselves.

After the success of our eighth session, we convened our ninth session via Zoom on, with all the excitement, enthusiasm, and apprehension that comes with it. The "EGO TO SELF ESTEEM" session started at 4:00 p.m. and finished about 5:15 p.m.

It was a really enjoyable and productive session, with roughly 20 attendees and four speakers. We felt protected and secure under the moderation of Miss Shreya Thapa who’s worked in journalism/ media/ freelance writing and the creative self for the last 10 years. In recent years she has been focusing on self-care and is now pursuing more of her passions and the creative self.

We started our session with a warm hello and a bright smile. Without further ado, we began calling the speakers to ask them about their feelings and stories regarding ego.

- Our first speaker talked about how she didn't talk to her friend because of her ego, and how if she hadn't brought her ego into their friendship, she would have built many more memories with her friend, for which both of them are now sad.

- Our second speaker told us about a childhood quarrel she had with her brother. She now has no recollection of their battle, yet there is still that quiet and ego that caused the fight to continue. She wishes to converse, but she is hesitant since she is unsure about the outcome. She wondered if it was ego or something else, and if she should go chat or not.

- Our third speaker inquired as to whether ego is good or bad, positive or negative. Ego either supports relationships or destroys them. She inquired about the relationship between confidence, ego, and self-esteem.

- Our fourth speaker told us about how her ego influenced her work in a positive way. Her friends were succeeding in their careers, which she took as an ego boost and decided to improve herself and succeed more than her friends, which she did, and she is now succeeding in her life.

Throughout the hearings, our moderator shared some of her personal experiences with us, which inspired everyone who attended. The following are some of the things our moderator said that helped us learn a lot:

- Ego is described as a person's idea or view of themselves, particularly their sense of self-importance and ability.

- It's fine if your ego makes you happy, but if it makes you sad, it's time to get out of it and do something about it. There's nothing wrong with making an effort to communicate with your relatives or friends.

- The soul awakens when the ego dies. Your ego vanishes when you sink into love.

- When you become conscious of your ego, it is no longer your ego, but rather an old, conditioned mind patter.

Everyone had a great chance to learn and unlearn new concepts throughout this session. We were all ecstatic to be a part of such a lovely family with such wonderful young girls.

We shot a picture at the end of an hour-long session to commemorate our time together. We completed our session with a smile on our faces. I'm excited to hear more!!!

This blog is written by Dipa Yadav, the proud coordinator of Cohort 15, an eager learner who appreciates sharing her experiences and believes in the concept of ‘Strength in Togetherness’.