Shadows might look scary and harmful due to the fact that a lot of things are hidden in them. That moment the word shadow crosses your mind, how do you feel? Or what do you see? Other individuals believe that shadows are safe because they seem dangerous at the same time. We all have those personalities that we don’t want to display to others and we cannot change that fact. There are also some personalities that we even hide from ourselves more so those that we feel are less attractive.

The infamous psychologist Carl Jung invented the word ‘shadow self’ where he suggested that an individual is made of two parts; the persona and the shadow self. What we want to achieve and how others view us is known as the persona.  The shadow self, however, is defined as our insensible feelings, wishes, thinking and powerful desires that lie within the surface.  We cannot do away with our insensible feelings but they can be restrained regardless of the fact that we want to be good individuals and also be viewed in the same way by others.

Our shadow selves’ changes depending on how we are grouped and this will clearly be seen across the world. This is a very essential point to note. What other people/ cultures might view as bad and uncouth others might view as the best.  Acknowledging our “darkness” has not been easy as a large majority of cultures encourages us to acknowledge our “light”. For us to start a journey towards self-realization and self-acknowledgment then we need to acknowledge our darkness.

You should be able to relate your shadow self with your persona by first acknowledging your personality. Do not live in denial. Be true to yourself and remove all the negativity that affects your personality. Once you’ve done that then you’ll be able to find peace and harmony. Jealous, anger and fear will not be part of you but you will have that forgiving personality which is the key to enlightenment.  Being aware of these will help you spot your shadow and deal with their manifestations.

If you wish to feel peaceful with your present life then make peace with your shadow. Be aware of what’s best for you. Self-awareness is very important and it’s an ongoing process. Strive towards making the impossible possible. It is our weakness that makes us who we are just the same as our virtues. Therefore it is important to make peace with both of them.