“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
KJV, John 1:5
Our path towards awareness, fulfillment, happiness, and ultimately enlightenment inevitably leads us through murky mental landscapes of fear, anger, denial, hatred, and self-pity. Each path is different and unique, but regardless of the circumstances, it occasionally veers to dark and scary corners, where we must face our shadows, for we must first meet our ugly, shameful, disturbing thoughts, habits, and behaviors and acknowledge them. After that comes an understanding of their roots, then we learn from them before we can finally move on.
Denying our weaknesses, negative attitudes, and burying them under the pursuit of happiness is only masking the problem and creating a temporary band-aid solution. I have been reading “Dark Side of the Light Chasers” by Debbie Ford, and the book has been tremendously helpful in unearthing my own shadows. I realize that each of my negative traits is a life lesson and a gift in disguise. For only when I accept all aspects of myself, the good and the bad, I will be whole again.
“The iridescent sunlight touching gently the pine needles,
tiny specks of fire dancing in the forest shadows.
For light is only light when it shines through the shadows… “