The New Ego

The morning sun filtered through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow over the table. I sat with my family, a rare occurrence these days. The smell of coffee and toast filled the air, and for a moment, everything felt… normal.

My mom was at the stove, flipping pancakes. My dad was reading the newspaper, his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Alex was scrolling through his phone, and Mia was nowhere to be seen—probably still asleep.

"You're up early," my mom said, placing a plate of pancakes in front of me.

"Yeah," I replied, pouring syrup over the stack. "Trying to get into a routine."

Alex glanced up from his phone. "Routine? What, like a normal person?"

I ignored the jab and took a bite of my pancakes.

My dad looked up from his newspaper. "Routines are good. Keeps you focused."

I nodded, surprised by the support.

As we ate, I noticed my family glancing at me—subtle, curious looks that made me feel both seen and exposed.

"You've been… different lately," my mom said, breaking the silence.

"Different how?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"I don't know. More focused. Less… you."

Alex smirked. "Yeah, you're not as much of a loser anymore."

"Thanks," I said dryly.

My dad set down his newspaper. "Change is good. Just make sure it's for the right reasons."

I nodded, feeling a mix of pride and pressure.

After breakfast, I went back to my room and sat at my desk. The conversation with my family had stirred something in me—a need to understand why I'd been the way I was.

"Why was my past ego like that?" I wondered.

I thought about the years I'd spent hiding in my room, avoiding responsibility, and numbing myself with porn and junk food.

"Was it fear? Laziness? Or just… habit?"

I didn't have all the answers, but I knew one thing: I didn't want to go back to that person.

Later that day, I was scrolling through TikTok when I came across a video about fame.

"Fame is a tool," the creator said. "It's not about ego or attention. It's about influence. If you can build a platform, you can make a difference."

The words stuck with me.

"What if I could use fame to help others? What if I could share my story and inspire people to change?"

I decided to take action.

Creating a Creator Account:

I opened TikTok and created a new account—@NewEgoJourney.

"This is it," I thought. "No more hiding. No more excuses."

My First Video:

I sat in front of my phone, trying to figure out what to say.

"Be real," I told myself. "Be honest."

I hit record.

"Hey, I'm Mason. A year ago, I was a loser—overweight, lazy, and stuck in a cycle of procrastination. But I decided to change. This is my journey to becoming the best version of myself. If I can do it, so can you."

I uploaded the video and waited.

Later that night, I opened a new document on my laptop.

Title: 100 Different Lives: POV

The idea had been brewing in my mind for weeks—a novel exploring 100 different perspectives, each chapter written from the viewpoint of a different character.

First Chapter:

I started with my own perspective.

"My name is Mason, and this is my story. I was a loser, but I'm not anymore. This is how I changed. This is how I became… me."

The words flowed easily, like they'd been waiting to come out.

As I lay in bed that night, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

"I shared my story. I started my novel. I took the first step."

It wasn't much, but it was progress.

"The New Me is still here," I thought. "And I'm not giving up."