Sh#t Your Ego Says: Strategies to Overthrow Your Ego and Become the Hero of Your Story

by James McCrae

“Don’t read this book,” your Ego says.“Your life could change. And that scares me.”Sometimes our worst failures lead to our greatest transformation.In 2012, James McCrae left behind a comfortable life in Minnesota and a successful career in advertising to move to New York City and pursue his dreams of being a writer. Soon after he arrived, Hurricane Sandy ripped through the eastern seaboard. New York City was underwater, and James —jobless and running out of money—was suddenly homeless. Fleeing to the island of Culebra for refuge, James sat alone on Flamenco Beach while his greatest doubts and insecurities rose to the surface. What he discovered was his Ego—and it had a lot of sh#t to say.This story of adventure, redemption, and transformation reminds us that we all have two voices inside the Ego and the Higher Self. The Ego is our reactive, attached mind that tells us we’re victims of circumstance. The Higher Self is our source of intuition and imagination that reminds us we’re the creators of our reality. Sh#t Your Ego Says exposes the battle between these voices.With arresting honesty and candid, compelling prose, James takes you through practical strategies for overthrowing your Ego and reclaiming a life of creativity and freedom. Whether you’re looking to achieve meaningful career success, improve your relationships, or unlock your imagination, this book provides a no-nonsense roadmap to living with purpose.

Genres: Self Help, Personal Development, Psychology

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Overall a insightful read on the human ego. There were many "AH HA" moments, that had me scribbling notes when the author touched a nerve that related to me. Then there was the third of the book that left me scratching my head, forcing me to re-read a section and still wonder what he was getting on about. There was no connection for this reader but there might be for others, this is a person journey each person might find a different point relevant.
I finished with a page of notes, several things to contemplate, and a new vision of my emotions and drives. This was a subject I had not encountered before in the self help books I have read before and I learned something. Well I hope I did. I'd recommend it to those who find themselves stuck in a rut, and feeling fear of making a change. It may just fit where other books have failed.

[D.J. Adamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have reviewed which is not on the market, yet. However, James McCrae’s book is well worth the pre-order.
McCrae’s background is founder of Innerspace Foundation. He works with people and organizations to unlock their creative protentional. His background is NOT why I am putting his book on my editorial page. I struggle with EGO. From a background in sports, I am very competitive. This is good, I think, when I am weeding out and formulating marketing strategies. It is not good when I begin comparing my work to bestseller lists, review numbers, contest awards, etc. Without a mindful shutdown of this part of my thinking, my marketing, and competitive ego blocks my creativity.
I also begin to lose the joy of what I do.
McCrae reminded me: “We live in two worlds. One is the external world of energy and vibration…..This is the world of imagination and the Higher Self. The other world is the temporary world of intelligence and materialism…This is the world of logic and Ego.”
My ego becomes periodically imbalanced. Freud would offer therapy. Jung would advise me to get my sh#t together. Really, it’s what McCrae offers. McCrae, writing in a conversational narrative, reminds me what a balanced ego can do. This is what I like most about McCrae’s book. For some readers, he may not offer a lot you don’t ready know intellectually but putting into practice the intellectual is not always easy, or first thought. We all slip. I know I need reminders. By sharing his insight and experience, in the voice of a good friend, McCrae does just this. He reminds the reader how creativity is born.
This book should be on every artist’s shelf. A book to be picked up more than once.
Can Also be Viewed on Le Coeur de l'Artiste: http://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de-...

[Grace Moroney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf, just not for me

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a streetlibrary. I liked and enjoyed reading it.

[Christine Hirtrescu · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main problem with this book is that it’s written from a very corporate/privileged perspective. As soon as he starts throwing in allegories about how he used to make sales pitches, he lost me. Lots of nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout but it became unfinish-able once I stopped trusting the narrative voice.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this I appreciate the mindfulness perspective from someone who, more or less, is a “regular” person living in this modern world just like me—not a devout monk, a renowned guru, or a glamorous celebrity.

Reading this felt like a conversation with a friend over coffee or cocktails—very relatable and reassuring without being saccharine.

Some may say there isn’t anything new or revelatory in here, and I agree—but the same is true for just about any book in this genre. We all “know” this stuff—be mindful, be true, be open—but it takes time, practice, and reinforcement to really believe it and live it. For me, that’s why I keep coming back to books such as this. I am learning and practicing with each breath, and hearing about others on their own journey brings me hope and comfort. McCrae’s words did just that, and I am grateful.

[Daniel Apostol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sh#t Your Ego Says is a series of experiences delivered by James McCrae that lend a comparison between the driving forces of one's Ego versus one's Higher Self.

I found myself attentively rooted in the stories of James as he faced personal and career challenges wherein choices between the Ego and Higher Self would shape his professional and personal future. James goes on to provide historical references that outline the Ego-Higher Self conflict providing further perspective and insight.

Readers seeking to take action on their purpose will find value in defining the difference of the Ego and Higher Self. One can expect a clearer path after understanding the forces exerted by the Ego: the reactive, defensive, often irrational internal motivator versus the Higher Self: the intuitive motivator that serves to remind the reader of the control they possess over their reality.

[براءه · Rating 3 out of 5]

عبارة عن سلسلة من التجارب التي قدمها جيمس ماكراي والتي تقارن بين القوى الدافعة للأنا مقابل الذات العليا للفرد. لقد وجدت نفسي متجذّرًا باهتمام في قصص جيمس عندما واجه تحديات شخصية ومهنية، حيث ستشكل الاختيارات بين الأنا والذات العليا مستقبله المهني والشخصي. يمضي جيمس في تقديم المراجع التاريخية التي تحدد الصراع بين الأنا والذات العليا، مما يوفر المزيد من المنظور والبصيرة. القراء الذين يسعون إلى اتخاذ إجراء لتحقيق هدفهم سيجدون قيمة في تحديد الفرق بين الأنا والذات العليا. يمكن للمرء أن يتوقع مسارًا أكثر وضوحًا بعد فهم القوى التي تمارسها الأنا: الدافع الداخلي التفاعلي والدفاعي وغير العقلاني في كثير من الأحيان مقابل الذات العليا: الدافع الحدسي الذي يعمل على تذكير القارئ بالسيطرة التي يمتلكها على واقعه

[Favian · Rating 4 out of 5]

James McCrae tells readers to be more introspective and listen to their authentic selves in the midst of daily struggles. There were a lot of anecdotes and analogies used to drive his points home, although there were some flimsy chapters that did not have convincing arguments, such as the one about voodoo and the one about his grandfather. An honest piece of work where he comes to grips that even after all the lessons he learned while on Culebra Island, he himself continues to struggle against the voice of his own Ego. He also did not have to tell so many stories about his exes. A must-read if you find yourself stuck in a rut.

[Anna Pigeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a lot of insights while reading this book, many times I said “yes, yes, yes!” and highlighted few pages in a glance. But can’t give this book 5 stars because of a stories of author, which are sometimes were too long, too much pretending for being poetic fiction-like, while other parts of book were entirety different.

[Dawid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autor w swojej książce próbuje nam przedstawić czym jest ego i jak wypływa na nas i na nasze życie . James Mccrae odwołuje się do historii ze swojego życia i przedstawia nam jak nie dać przejąć kontroli swojemu ego nad nami samymi . Książka bardzo specyficzna i nie dla każdego aczkolwiek mi się spodobała. Polecam :)

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to define or conjure up what can you get from this book. You can take it as a salad spiced up with autobiographical elements of an author in search for a self touching in the process mysticism.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard an interview with the author and went home to order the book from Amazon. I’m so glad I did. It discussed many old ideas using new language and examples from the author’s personal experience. Dense, but quite readable. A breath of fresh air.

[Nick Bardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book written by a great person! I was already excited about this book but then I read it and was just filled with excitement and gratitude. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to understand themselves a bit more. Thank you James McCrae!

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice design, but the content was boring and disappointing. One spiritual cliché after another doesn't make a great self-helf book. There are lots of other books on the same topic which are much better.

[Natalya Suttmiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good modern look at how to form a healthy relationship with your ego. The author shares his life story as his example which made it very relatable. After reading this it made me feel like I am capable of achieving much more through the act of ignoring my inner critic.

[DapperDanMan13 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was mostly nonsense about letting Jesus or some other superpower take the wheel of your life and just trusting everything is going to be ok, with the occasional nugget of wisdom thrown in the mix. I enjoyed the writing abilities of the author, but not the content.

[Kioyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing flows well and is enjoyable. And while I identified with much of the material I also found some of the subject matter an over simplification of life. Some problems ARE a big deal. Some things in life can't be solved by positive thinking.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really profound, but some good thoughts on mindfulness and not worrying so much.

[Wade Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of shit we tell ourselves that keeps us from succeeding. This book helped me identify some of that shit and provided me with some tools to hopefully tell my ego to STFU.

[Mauricio Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo mio no son los libros de auto ayuda, aunque este tiene uno que otro apunte interesante

[Paul Cardle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect. Read it!

[Brooke Sandlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy the pep talks from the Higher Self vs the Ego. McCrae made the read enjoyable as he relates each lesson with his own experiences.

[Tassia O'Callaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, really insightful. Makes you look within yourself to realise where your doubts, fears and anxieties actually come from. Very relatable.

[Iyad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not good enough.

[Afaf · Rating 2 out of 5]

ظروفك ليست دائماً أختياريه لكن العيش بأعباء هو دائماً أختيار ...

[David Geschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, worthwhile read :)

[Sandy Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really well written book

[Jason Korn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! This will get added to my “yearly re-read list”

[niedokladnyczytacz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niektóre momenty były inspirujące, ale raczej przeciętna jako całość.