In Ballet class, I am very aware of my ego. You can be too cautious and hang back. No one will see you. You need confidence to go for it and not hide...to get on your leg and present. But once you get cocky, it's a mess. You throw your alignment off and your pirouettes are too forceful - you start to fall, get tense, and lose your focus. Such a difficult balance!
A good guide can proceed with confidence - never projecting fear. But they need to beware of cockiness as no one knows what is about to happen. You need to be ready to roll with whatever occurs and have respect for the power of the compound. You need to be ready to say ‘Yes, and…’ no matter how crazy things get.
Maybe it is like surfing. You need to go for it when you see the wave coming, but you also need to have a healthy respect for the immense power of the ocean. The more you work with psychedelics, the more confident you become that you can ride whatever wave comes at you. But no matter what, anyone can be thrown at any time. This is part of understanding the situation as it is. And in the case that you are thrown, you need to let go, knowing that it will pass, the wave will recede and all will again be calm. Let go.