If you are not leading your internal system, your ego is.

In this episode of This Tree and Me, Cory J Riggs breaks down what true inner leadership looks like — not control, not force, not suppression — but authority through love, structure, and healing.

You’ll learn:

• Why your ego doesn’t disappear — it breathes

• What real leadership inside yourself actually means

• Why healing requires structure

• How to move from reaction to responsibility

Healing your ego isn’t about killing it.

It’s about leading it.

🌐 Website: https://www.coryjriggs.com

Find This Tree and Me wherever you stream podcasts.

https://coryjriggs.com

Motivation can push you forward.

Inspiration can lift you up.

But neither of them heals the parts of you that keep repeating the same patterns.

In this episode, I explore the difference between motivation, inspiration, and true healing—and why ignoring the ego doesn’t make it disappear. It waits.

We talk about why cycles repeat, why success doesn’t protect us from breakdown, and why healing the ego is not about killing it—but learning how to lead it with compassion, trust, and honesty.

This is not about fixing yourself.

It’s about becoming whole.

This Tree and Me is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you knew that every path you took would include suffering, pain, and eventually death, which path would you choose? Most of us choose the path of "settlement" because the ego convinces us it’s safer. It plays an internal movie filled with excuses and justifications to keep us from the "doing" that makes our transformation real.

​In today's episode of This Tree and Me, Cory J Riggs deconstructs the illusion of "safe" failure and the shadow work required to move toward self-worth. It’s time to stop letting the ego settle the bill on its terms. It’s time to find the path that ends in light, no matter how faint or distant that light may seem.

​In this episode, we discuss:

​The resistance of the "Doing" and the fear of judgment.

​Why we find known failures more tolerable than the unknown.

​How curiosity acts as the catalyst for healing.

​The ultimate choice between settlement and self-worth.

​Links & Resources:

​Read the full article: https://www.coryjriggs.com/blog

​Subscribe for more studies: https://www.coryjriggs.com/podcast

​Follow Cory on Socials: @CoryJRiggs

The gap between seeing what you need to do and actually doing it is where the ego thrives. It uses your own physical discomfort to keep you stuck, turning your anxiety into a reason to stay still. In this episode, we break down how to listen to the vision and move through the resistance by recognizing the body's signals as a compass for growth. It’s time to stop the cycle of non-doing and start the work.

​https://www.coryjriggs.com/blog

https://www.coryjriggs.com/podcast

​Follow me @CoryJRiggs on all socials

Search 'This Tree and Me' on your favorite podcast platform

We all have "versions" of ourselves built for survival. But what happens when those protectors—the walls we built to stay safe—start keeping us from growing? In this episode, Cory J Riggs discusses the internal ecosystem, the ego's "warm blanket" of familiar pain, and why there are no shortcuts on the path to healing.

​Resources:

Explore more at the Blog: https://www.coryjriggs.com/blog

Official Podcast Page: https://www.coryjriggs.com/podcast

​#WellnessJourney #InnerWork #MindsetShift #ConsciousLiving #MentalHealthMatters

Stop fighting yourself. In this episode, Cory J Riggs breaks down why the concept of "killing the ego" is a myth that keeps us stuck in a cycle of internal war. Cory shares the raw details of his morning ritual where he stopped trying to "exhale" the ego and instead started a dialogue with the protectors he created as a child and a teenager. Learn how to identify your own internal protectors, ask the right questions, and move toward a life of Conscious Wisdom and unity.
​Get more insight at: https://www.coryjriggs.com/blog
​Follow me @CoryJRiggs on all socials
Search "This Tree and Me" on your favorite podcast platform
​#JayShetty #Ego #Mindset #Healing #ConsciousWisdom #SelfImprovement

In the season two premiere of "The Tree and Me," Cory J Riggs explores the "Industrial Arc"—the historical cycle of progress that often prioritizes the machine over the man. Cory shares a provocative perspective on why he is thankful for the stillness the pandemic forced upon us and how it stripped away our "armor" to reveal our shared humanity. ​This episode is a guide for anyone feeling outpaced by the modern world, offering a roadmap to move from the "backstory" into the "Becoming." We dive into the "two sides of the coin"—how technology was expedited to cover our loneliness, and how we are now finding the strength to return to real, human connection. ​Key Topics: ​The Industrial Arc: From Steel Mills to AI. ​The Digital Trap: When screens became companions. ​Mental Health Realism: Running the same human race. ​Why Humanity is the only key that fits 2026. ​Connect with Cory: Website: coryjriggs.com Social Media: @coryjriggs ​#MentalHealth #Humanity #Mindset #Growth #Spirituality #Leadership #Psychology #Unity #ConsciousWisdom #Wellness #Perspective

The bill always comes due.
​We tell ourselves that staying in that relationship is "safe." We tell ourselves that shrinking down to make others comfortable is just being "polite." But the cost isn't just your peace—it is your heart.
​In the Season 1 Finale of The Tree and Me, Cory J Riggs takes a hard look at the "ledger" of our lives. We discuss the "Hollow Man" syndrome, the exhausting price of toxic positivity, and the raw accountability required to stop waging war against yourself.
​Key Takeaways:
​The Invisible Debt: What are you buying with your silence?
​The Empty Cup: You cannot feed others when you haven't eaten in years.
​The Harvest: The quiet, steady strength of finally standing in your own truth.
​Looking Ahead: Stick around until the very end for a special announcement regarding the "Industrial Arc" coming in Season 2 (2026).
​You can watch or listen to this wherever you get your podcasts.
🔗 Website: https://coryjriggs.com