Embracing Your Shadow Self

In today’s so-called enlightened world, most people tend to concentrate on the ‘light’ so much that they tend to neglect their darker or ‘shadow side as a result. Truly, this is a pity as we can learn so much from it! Carl Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

So just what is our Shadow? Interestingly, this is the side of us that we tend to hide from other people. Simply put, it is the home for our guilt, fears, emotional traumas, but yet at the same time, also houses our beauty and hidden abilities!

In fact, any side of ourselves that we tend to keep secret from other people forms our shadow side. Generally speaking, anything that we may class as being unacceptable by society, or our social circle, we tend to store away at the back of our mind.

How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole ~ C.G. Jung

For a lot of people, these emotions may be of the negative kind, such as hatred, anger, or prejudice. Yet, for others, it can harbor their passions and talents, and this is often referred to as the ‘golden shadow.’

So, why would we hide these fabulous traits? A common reason for doing so is due to an unconscious belief that by allowing our talents to shine through it may lead to envy, isolation and maybe even ridicule from family and so-called friends.  Nevertheless, should we find the courage to embrace the sheer power lying in our darker side, then we could experience boundless energy, far less stress and much more authenticity!  How’s that?

How do we go about accepting our dark side? In all honesty, in real life, this can be easier said than done, as it will take time, effort, energy and, yes, some courage along the way. That said, the benefits can be massive.

A good starting point then would be by looking at our reactions to those things which we do not like. For example, we may not like watching a particular documentary on abandoned children as we, ourselves, may have been left as a child. Therefore, we may have a fear of abandonment. Having established just what the fear or emotion is that we have stored away in the darker recesses of our minds, we need to name it, and accept it.

Over time, we should come to conclude that we perhaps only have a few hidden fears to deal with and having reached this point, it is important that we accept them. Yes, accept them. By doing so we are, on a conscious level, accepting ourselves as being human and that is real personal victory in itself.

Every man carries with him through life a mirror, as unique and impossible to get rid of as his shadow ~ W.H. Auden

It is important to bear in mind, however, that success in accepting our darker side come in many forms. For example, we will not simply wake up one fine day and say, “Yay, I have embraced and accepted my darker side.” No, instead we should start to, gradually, feel more relaxed, less stressed, more in control and more energized, due to this acceptance.

The above said, some people are of the opinion that the word ‘acceptance’ is connected with defeat, but when it comes to embracing your darker side, this is simply not the case.  Instead, it is all about acknowledging our issues rather than denying them. Denial, in itself, can lead to all kinds of frustration. Furthermore, like what Spirit teach, a person needs to acknowledge something on a conscious level before they can act on improving it! Therefore, exploring our Shadow or darker side (whatever you prefer to call it) can be likened, can it not, to a form of self improvement!

On a final note, as much as exploring our Shadow Self helps us to look at our faults, it is also there for us to explore our assets as well. In simple terms, our Shadow is the place where the real truth lies and if we can accept and embrace what is negative about us, then surely we can accept that what is good about us at the same time.

Yes, the truth really does set us free. By accepting that what is good about us as well as what is not so good about us, and not being afraid of showing it, we are putting ourselves in a position to really shine like the bright, beautiful individuals that God intended us to be.