Megatron vs Op Prime (as my son calls the famous Optimus Prime) in a showdown. Transformer vs Transformer. We know who will win, but it’s always a good battle…good vs bad.
Megatron is all about power. Wanting it all. Having to have it all. When he gets defeated, it hurts his ego. It pains his pride. He thinks being defeated is about him, when really it’s about Op Prime fulfilling his mission. It’s not personal for Op Prime, but for Megatron it is.
Op Prime’s ego and pride never get in the way. He realizes the battles are not about him. He fights for the greater good. He doesn’t take things personally (even when they might be). He rises above the pettiness and knows he’s in a new universe for something bigger than himself. He’s able to see things more clearly, because his big ego is never in the way.
Megatron’s ego gets in his own way all the time and most of the time without his realizing it. He’s got to be the best and won’t settle for less, and he surrounds himself with other “people” like Starscream who is just as ego filled. In fact, Starscream is so power hungry, he would throw Megatron under the bus if he needed to in order to get what he wants. Actually Starscream just wants the power Megatron has and is willing to do whatever it takes, even sabotage Megatron, in order to get it.
Your ego can get the best of you too. When you fight or disagree with someone, your pride might get bruised. You think it’s personal and about you, when it’s really just about that person. In fact, it has nothing to do with you. She wants to be heard and yet you’re trying to give her a solution. She doesn’t want a solution, because when you listen and not try to fix the problem, that’s when she knows you care. Share This!
Just like Megatron, your pride is attached to your self-worth. When Megatron’s pride gets hurt, his self-worth decreases. He feels a sense of “am I really needed?” He may feel depleted or underappreciated. He takes it as a personal attack against him as an ultimate Transformer. He reverts to his cave for time to think and ponder. In doing this, his self talk is all about, “Yes Megatron you can control the world. Optimus Prime doesn’t know what is best. Megatron you do. Yes, go out there and show them.”
Then he has to go prove it to others (his team) that he is needed but really he just needs to prove it to himself…that his ideas are good, that he can fix things, that he is important, that other people like him, that people value his opinion, other people respect him, he is valuable, he can control things, and that he is all powerful.
Megatron’s actions come from a place of scarcity. There isn’t enough for all of us. Only one can have it all…and it has to be me. I have the one and only solution. Listen to me. And when action isn’t taken on what he wants, then all hell breaks loose.
Pride and ego get in the way of better things coming your way. They allow you to stay right where you are and have it be all about you. When situations arise, and your pride or ego gets bruised, it’s not about you. It’s not a personal attack against your manhood.
It’s about the other person. She wants to be heard and understood. She wants to be met with compassion and empathy not “let me fix this for you” mentality. Not the “there is only one way, and it’s my way” thought.
Many people think men have a lot of pride and ego. That may be true, but why they have them is more important. They are defense mechanisms to keep them from getting and feeling hurt. When you acknowledge it’s not about you—it’s not a personal attack on you–then you can more easily take the pride and ego out of the equation and meet her where she needs to be met and not where YOU want to meet her. Tweet This!
Megatron never learns the valuable lesson that when you take your pride and ego out, you’re able to become a better version of yourself. Next time you feel yourself in a battle (heated debate, talk, discussion), take on the pride and ego of Op Prime, where the pride and ego don’t exist, and you’ll soon find yourself in a whole new universe and adventure.
Jessica Rector’s mission is simple: transform lives. With a BBA, MBA and BS, Jessica started, hosted, and produced her own TV talk show in Los Angeles with just an idea to help others which launched her first company jessICAREctor International. As someone who attempted suicide as a teen, had a lot of self-judgment around being a single parent, and has a brother who died by suicide, Jessica knows challenges, issues, and pain and how to turn them into something good. Through her own experiences, research, and strategies, she helps you break through your inner struggles and free yourself. As a thought leader, keynote speaker, and author, Jessica consults with companies, coaches individuals, and speaks at conferences, conventions, and organizations helping you change what you say to yourself about yourself to change your thoughts and actions to change your life. Jessica is a Contributor for The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project and has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Business Journal, and Market Watch. Get Jessica’s third book, Breaking the Silence: Taking the Sh out of Shame at jessicarector.com. Follow her on Facebook by CLICKING HERE.
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