In January I did a series on the 12 Days of Beauty & Light
which I hope you made some shifts for your personal empowerment. This
month, I will connect you to the dark, your shadow; in honor of one of
my favorite teachers Debbie Ford.
Debbie
Ford past away February 17th, 2013 and is a New York Times best-selling
author, founder of The Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching, and a
pioneering force in the study and integration of the shadow into modern
psychological and spiritual practices. My favorite works from Debbie Ford are
Courage:
Overcoming Fear and Igniting Self-Confidence, The Shadow Effect, The
Dark Side of the Light Chasers, The Secret of the Shadow, Why Good
People Do Bad Things, and the 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse. After the 3rd time I did the Consciousness Cleanse, I produced my Lotus Mudra Meditation. After readingWhy Good People Do Bad Things I was able to uncover my masks of the Over-Achiever and the Martyr. Her work is absolutely transforming.
"You cannot know the light without knowing the dark.
So many times we shame our shadow, but it is a part of our ego that
must be satisfied. It is the gatekeeper of true freedom. The shadow
holds the truth of all the authentic parts of being human -- your
vulnerability, your discontent, your jealousy, or an experience from the
past that you haven't digested. The only way to invite them
out of the shadow is to bring them into the light. The light is a new
perspective in which you see that everything that's happening is
happening to help you develop your soul. Then you're free -- free to be
who you are most authentically, free to ask for what you need, free to
find your joy and bliss, free to share your gifts.
The
first step is seeing what you don't want to be. Look at who you don't
like and the qualities they have, not their behaviors but the qualities
inside of them that you don't like. Start with the ones closest to you.
You can always see these qualities in your brothers, sisters, parents,
or children." For example, some of my friends babble a lot, do the
same sabotaging things repeatedly, or don't really listen. I would get
frustrated and get on them about it. But the truth is, I need to listen
more: I should be
interested instead of interesting.I was trying to change them because I need to look at it in myself. It's always a mirror reflection.
"Every
time you grow and evolve, you find new versions of your shadow. Once
you understand shadow work, it's actually not something you want to be
done with. Every time you embrace a shadow, you open up a new pathway
for your life. Your shadow is actually very playful, your inner child,
your creative soul." For example, Peter Pan found Wendy and the kids because he followed his shadow.
"Ultimately,
all of this work is about learning to love one's self, one's flaws,
one's shortcomings, and one's past; and when you accept that it is
possible -- that that is your spiritual journey here on earth -- you
have a foundation for setting yourself up to live a life beyond your
wildest dreams." (Welcome to Shadowland, an example of how your shadow wants to help you.)
