ego

Is the ego there to help us or hinder us? Does it help us to define who we are by our individuality and place in this universe to everything and everyone else? I mean, if there was nothing and no one else but me, where would I be?  What would I be? I'd go out of my mind. Like dangling in a seemingly endless white room, how could you know if you're big or small with nothing to compare yourself to? So, in all reality or should I say being in this reality, an ego is useful. I suppose it would be only when I allow my ego to get out of hand that it hinders me in any way. When it becomes more than just experiencing what I am but actually needing something to be who I want to be. Yet, how much do I need to be me and continue living and experiencing life? Shelter and food to survive. Technically anything above and beyond that is a gift. But some how I've gotten it into my head that I need Dew and smokes each day to really feel like myself. Being best friends with comfort food during tough times too. It may have began from my low self esteem earlier in life but has possibly turned into an out of control ego through the years. I guess my ego was involved back then too at some level huh? I'm getting over that fairly well. Because there's no reason to feel it tragic that this is who I am if there's always a change for the better available to me. Now I'm liking who I am, just working to reach for my highest goal of becoming a more highly evolved being.
I do realize that we don't need much to live and truly don't need anything to be happy. This understanding has been a work in progress for me for a while. Shedding the outer worldly passions brings about contentment once you live happily without them. Hmm easier said than done so far.