Face to Face with my Shadow Self

I have been blessed in numerous ways with a great current job, happy family life and substantial educational credential to my credit. In many ways, I am living the American dream life. However, at many occasions, I have also come face to face with my "shadow self" that has its own view of who I am and what I am supposed to feel.

My shadow self is not satisfied over any significant extent of time. It appears when I am mentally and physically tired. It is grounded mostly in my past experiences. It resides mostly in my mind. It finds me undisciplined, lazy, and lacking creativity and flow to deal my life's challenges. It says you will never change from my past self. It talks to me and says: “Here you go again.” It clings to and feasts on the dark side of the future possibilities in my life.

I have learned to work with the shadow self. I am getting good at recognizing when the shadow shows its face, popping its head. I am learning that if I wait long enough and don’t take any hasty steps, it will go away by itself after conveying me what it wants to say to me.

Sometime if I am lucky and at rare occasions, because I am vigilant, I can instantly switch myself to the “Light” or the "positive" or "whole" side of me.

My awareness and ability to see the approaching shadow side is like turning a bulb in a dark room. The shadow self does not like any light to be shed on it, including me writing this blog and talking about it.

Even though I am not particularly thrilled to see my shadow side, I am becoming increasing aware that, just like my physical shadow, it is an integral part of me. I am looking forward to a day to greet my shadow self with a smile and say: "hello there! What do you want to share with me today?"

So, my challenge to all the readers is to name your own shadow self. How does it look like? What it says to you? How do you react when you are face-to-face with this side of you? How do you transcend it and come back to your normal side?