I equate ego with trying to figure everything out instead of going with the flow. That closes your heart and your mind to the person or situation that's right in front of you, and you miss so much.

Pema Chödrön (1936-), Pema Chödrön is an American Tibetan Buddhist. She is an ordained nun, and disciple of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Chödrön has written several dozen books and is principal teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Canada.