You have two lives in this life: the life of your ego and the life of your soul. The life of the soul is eternal and contains the gifts and values that form the core of who you are. Your soul is the seed of your destiny and individuality. Like any seed, it must be cultivated and nourished if it is to bear fruit in your life.
Your ego, on the other hand, is a vehicle through which the creative and healing energy of the soul is communicated and shared with the world. The ego is meant to serve your soul and when it does this it brings forth the gifts of your deeper self. It helps you achieve your destiny. However, when it serves itself rather than the soul, it is infertile, a plant without flower or fruit. This barrenness occurs when you are more interested in doing things your way than in turning to your inner self, or God, for direction.
Unfortunately, we often live as if the only life we have is that of our ego. We are guided by the perspectives and conventional wisdom of society and in so doing may never awaken to our other life—that deeper, soul life—where our individuality resides. This spiritual and psychological foundation of your being makes itself known via your dreams and fantasies, your illnesses and symptoms, your relationships, synchronicities and other life events. When grasped at a symbolic level, these things reveal an autonomous, creative process trying to unfold in your life. Tune into that process and assist it. The ego gains substance and integrity when it serves the soul.