One thing I like to advocate for is not standing in anyone else’s shadow. Shadows are dark spots. Why hide there in someone’s shadow, outside of the limelight when you have so much to offer the world? You have unique gifts and talents. Discover them! Use them! Nothing is more fulfilling that using than using those talents and techniques you love to make the world a better place.

But what about your own shadows? The flip-side to the light are the dark places inside. They are not inherently evil, but people act like they don’t have a dark side because of the connotation that dark=evil. It’s called your shadow self because of the things in it that you don’t want to admit to being a part of you. Things like anger, desires and uncomfortable emotions. But instead of trying to ignore it or heal it or otherwise dispose of it, why don’t we embrace it and see what it has to teach us? If there’s anger there, perhaps it can help you place better boundaries in your life. If you have desires there that you don’t want people to know about, maybe you need to see why they are so strong or what experiences in your life caused them to rise up. Your subconscious might be trying to tell you about a lack in your life you aren’t taking care of or about an emotional wound that is festering that needs some tlc. Ignoring our shadow selves causes us to be unbalanced and to live lives of inauthenticity. Go on, give yourself a hug and tell yourself that you accept yourself, dark spots and all.

So to recap, stay out of the shadows cast by others and let your own light shine. And that light can shine even brighter still when we take the time to acknowledge and understand our own shadows. Almost every person I know who is a beacon of light and a joy to be around became so after a period of darkness and learning to grow and accept all of themselves.

You can’t be a colourful person if you pretend that half the colours don’t exist.

For more information on shadow self, click here.