nothing to protect, nothing to defend

Above all, don't let your ego stand in the way. Self-image is constructed by the ego. It gives you a facade that you can show the world, but it also turns into a shield behind which you hide. If you let your self-image stand in the way, you can't be open and receptive. Real change requires a relaxed, natural attitude. Sadly, most people expend untold energy in protecting their self-image, defending it from attacks both real and imagined. Instead, take the attitude that there's nothing to protect and nothing to defend. You want to be strong, but true strength comes from love that is certain and self-sufficient. False strength comes from building a wall of self-defensiveness.

Excerpted from Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra