Suzy Bashford
Previously, I did not think that I had an ego problem. That was when I associated big egos purely with loud, brash, shamelessly self-promoting bores, who droned on about their achievements, completely oblivious to my eyes glazing over with disinterest.
I have since realised that ego issues are far more complex, and that I might have a ‘difficulty’, after all. For example, at a recent business meeting, when I was introduced as a ‘stay-at-home mum’ instead of a freelance writer, I was shocked at my visceral reaction. I felt my cheeks redden, while my inner dialogue went berserk. I spent the rest of the meeting distracted, trying to assuage my dented ego, dropping comments about how busy I was writing all day, and not sitting on the sofa. It didn’t help – my desperate attempts at self-validation just made me feel worse.