Most of us spend our “spiritual” time and energy seeking the Light. We long for feelings of peace, equanimity, and joy.
But the counterintuitive Truth is that the pathway to these enlightened ideals eventually carries us through the darkness, one way or another. This concept is sometimes referred to as shadow work.
What is our shadow?
The shadow represents the parts of us that feel dark, scary, ugly, threatening, or vulnerable. Some of us are so afraid of these parts that we push them way down, repress them, and don’t even have awareness they are there.
Without bringing our shadow into the Light, these darker aspects of self end up running the show. Instead of living life with authenticity, integrity, and power, we end up living life running away from that which we fear, in ourselves and others.
Today, you might open your mind and consider the idea that there IS hope in your shadow–in the very things you reject most in yourself. As you learn how to bring compassion, acceptance, and even gratitude to these things, you remove the invisible barriers between yourself and the inner freedom you long for.
Your shadow plays a vital role in the fundamental purpose of your humanity: your ability to progress, your ability to love, your ability to feel joy, your need for God.