We have a delicate balance of opposites. They define us, signifying what we avoid and what we can become. They reflect the delicate balance between accepting, avoiding, admitting, and ignoring certain realities. In this delicate but precious balance, we try to live each day without being dominated by anything.
It might be difficult to reconcile acknowledging what we know and avoiding what we don't. We must accept and appreciate our positive and negative traits to reach inner peace.
While uncomfortable, embracing our darker parts leads to growth, transformation, and self-acceptance. Understanding oneself and developing a positive self-image through life's hardships is required. Clarity doesn't always lead our lives; it can blind us, and darkness may offer the solutions.
Pain is typically associated with awakening consciousness. People try to avoid facing their inner selves, no matter how absurd their acts. We must embrace our inner shadows to gain true enlightenment, not only imagine brilliant people.
Carl Jung
Carl Jung defined our shadows as our unconscious frustrations, humiliations, anxieties, and insecurities. The shadow comprises all the negative qualities of our personality we may not admit, preventing us from being ourselves.
Our shadows typically contain selfishness, envy, cowardice, jealousy, and greed. They often become apparent when they lead us to fights. They may appear as guilt or unexplainable depression, creating a new picture.
Since we cannot assign these sentiments, opinions, or ideas to ourselves, we might project them onto others. We are trained to hide our flaws, pessimism, and negativity from an early age. Shadows, like light, are inherent in humans.
Have you ever lost sight of the big picture because of your own perspective?
Our ideals, values, emotions, actions, and desires are like guiding lights that illumine us. We wear these masks everywhere, as if they were our identities.
We can present ourselves as jokers, smart, understanding, gregarious, bashful, or brave on the big stage. Today, social media highlights our personality. We balance concealing secrets and appearing normal in our double life. What appears to be an advantage, a way to insulate ourselves from life's miseries, becomes the centre of modern self-absorption.
Understanding our shadows is essential for inner balance. We all make mistakes and feel jealousy, envy, and guilt, but we can recover. Recognising our humanity and accepting the truth of our experiences might help us feel good about ourselves and live happier lives. Accept all of your experiences, dark and light. Strive for inner peace.