Recently, I had a moment on my scooter that reminded me how crucial it is not to let our egos take control. I needed to cross to the other side of the road and waited for the traffic to slow down. When I saw an opening, I steered to the other side and made a brief stop to give way to a vehicle approaching the lane I was merging into. Suddenly, I heard someone shouting, "Don’t you see me coming? You’re crossing!"

My ego was quick to react. I wanted to tell him that I was crossing and he should just maneuver around me. But instead, I simply said, "I'm sorry." He stopped and asked, "What is the sorry for? You better watch what you’re doing." I apologized again and continued on my way.

Situations like these are common on the road. There’s no need to take them personally. If I had let my ego take over, it could have escalated into an unnecessary confrontation. The other person wasn’t taking it personally either; he was likely in a hurry or had other issues I wasn’t aware of.

This experience reminded me of a project where I had to work with a predecessor at an institute where we had both worked. The project required us to visit the institute, which we had each led at different times. When we arrived, there was no one to receive us, and we had to find our way and make inquiries to someone who had once been our junior. It was a humbling experience.

What we have today will be someone else’s tomorrow. The positions and control we hold are temporary and were once held by others before us. This realization underscores the importance of not letting our egos dictate our actions.

Ego rejects compromise and demands everything. Envy and jealousy arise when we greedily want what others have—positions, material possessions, luxurious lifestyles. Instead of being envious, we should be inspired by others’ lives and aspire to achieve our own version of success.

The Greek concept of euthymia captures this idea well. Euthymia is about understanding our own path and staying on it without getting distracted by others. It’s not about beating someone else or having more than others. It’s about being true to yourself and being the best, you can be. It’s about accomplishing what you set out to do, no more and no less.

 By keeping our egos in check, we can focus on our own journey and achieve our true potential without getting sidetracked by envy or greed.