Resonating with Anita Moorjani's recent radio show episode entitled "Spiritual People Don't Have Egos, Do They?"
I too have had the experience of believing that ego is bad and is to be suppressed, only to find out that that release of individual identity also releases the traction through which I can fully participate in the world. I also find that devoting completely to the ego, or what Anita calls being egocentric, cuts me off from the spiritual awareness that gives me a sense of joy and an indescribable connection to God.
Anita offers an amazing perspective that ego is just an interface we use to deal with the physical world, and it is neither spiritual or not spiritual.
The right amount allows for meaningful engagement in the world, and overindulgence leads to force without purpose. In a similar sense, spiritual awareness brings peace and meaning, and without boundaries and individuality it remains energy without vessel.
For me, that translates to simultaneously practicing setting physical and energetic boundaries as well as expanding awareness of life and love in the greater sense. The "I" consciousness and the "WE" consciousness are complementary, and the evolution of that interplay is what makes the journey interesting.
Love, with boundaries.