3 Core Reasons Why Embracing Your Shadow Will Lead to a Better You (ft. The Broken Extrovert)

Throughout life, we come to be familiar with the concept of polarity.

The good or bad. The positive or negative. The right or wrong.

And typically, we as humans can decipher which categories most things fall under.

Even when judging other people, we may refer to an individual as good or bad because of their actions or deeds that seemingly define who they are in totality.

In reality, it is the CHOICES that we make that define our character and that is where our power lies.

Each human being possesses polarity within them. There is you and there is the you that you wish not to be.

We do everything in our power to suppress this undesirable and shameful version of ourselves.

That entity’s name is Shadow.

Say hello and reintroduce yourself because they’re reading these words with you.

There is no escaping Shadow and I know this may sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be.

The more familiar you become, the more whole and liberated you will be.

Thank yourself later.

Here are 3 core reasons why embracing your shadow will lead to a better you…1. Self-honesty

People will often plea for others to be honest with them. We yearn to know the truth, but most of the time, we are unable to deliver the uncut truth that we so regularly beg for.

Instead, we share what we think people want to hear because the truth is not always pleasurable.

When someone asks you to tell them about yourself during a first encounter, how likely are you to offer up substandard qualities? Unlikely.

Because it is taboo in our society, and more acceptable to sell a perfect image upfront and let a person “really get to know you” over time.

Cool. Sell a false idea to a stranger to who you have no real attachment, but you have to live with you every day of your life so why rob yourself of true understanding?

Many of us like to highlight our best qualities.

We praise goodness and righteousness in ourselves and others.

This image that we try to paint of ourselves to be all good conflicts with our shadow when we do things that do not fall into the category of goodness or righteousness.

We are so afraid of being thrown into the alternative categories that we try to save face.

We may lie or only partially admit to our wrongdoings instead of accepting our faults.

We are not perfect. We are all capable of wrongdoing and when we can acknowledge and recognize this polarity in our lives and others, we can be honest with ourselves.

Being honest with others comes secondary to being honest with yourself.

Truth is, your ability to do wrong is no different than the next person, but your choices are what set you apart.

The sooner you can unbind yourself from upholding an unrealistic identity, you will have acquired self-honesty.

2. Mental Manipulation of the Subconscious

Do you know those recurring intrusive thoughts that you just can’t seem to shake?

The ones that keep you awake at night because they’re too loud to ignore.

I can’t stand them.

It appears that no matter how hard you try, the subconscious mind will always make an appearance.

I once never knew that my mind could work against me but then I discovered the remedy.

Not the cure. The remedy.

Our subconscious can be so relentless that we begin to see its effects in our day-to-day lives.

Insecurities and fears can reign if we submit to this invasion.

We cannot avoid or stop the invasion, but mental manipulation is the key here.

I know, why would we manipulate ourselves?

But trust me, this is one instance where it’s for the greater good.

We may not be able to eradicate all the negativity that surfaces in our minds; however, we can take a moment to be still and ask a few important questions:

What relevance does this intrusive thought have in my life?

Is it directly affecting the series of events in my life OR is the influence it has simply coming from me making it relevant?

Am I giving it the energy and fuel to grow into something prominent when it could’ve just been a frivolous thought that came and went?

Yes, the subconscious is mighty, but our conscious minds are dominant and can shape anything that the subconscious throws at us.

3. Emotional Control

Has there ever been a situation that made you feel unlike yourself or behave out of character?

Have you ever seen a side of yourself that surprised you?

That is your shadow and usually, when it arises in this manner, it’s because it’s been silenced too long, endured more than its limit, and ultimately cannot contain any more neglect.

Your shadow must be acknowledged, or it will surface without permission.

Your shadow is heightened when you suppress emotions or withhold reactions to avoid disharmony or disruption in your external environment.

When you feel triggered or bothered by something, it is important to make space for those emotions.

Take note of what you are feeling and why you are feeling it.

When we suppress or avoid our negative emotions, the situation that caused these feelings will eventually fade from our memory, but our feelings that are linked to the situation will remain dormant until triggers cause them to return.

When you make space for these negative emotions, you can address them, get to the root of their impact, and figure out how to deal with them.

Later down the line, you will see that normal triggers will not affect you because you will have already made space and time for them.

Each time you delay confronting an issue to maintain peace in the external world, you are creating mass destruction internally.Accepting your shadow allows you to reach wholeness as no part of you is neglected.

When all aspects of ourselves are given attention, we control the direction of our lives.

When you know yourself, there is nothing that can sway you or convince you that anything insignificant has gravity in your life.

-The Broken Extrovert