Embrace the Light & the Dark.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ Our shadow needs love, just like our light could use some edge.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ Let’s talk about Shadow Work! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ To me it’s less about locking those parts away in a dark cage where no one can see and more about finding ways to make peace with those parts of ourselves so that they too can shine on our world.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ Every time I look at aspects of my shadow I see past the snarling beast of destruction and into the wounded eyes of a misunderstood creature that’s only acting out of fear.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ Locking the creature away is only going to perpetuate that fear and if it ever gets out, it’ll wreak havoc like the monster I made it out to be.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ So instead, I embrace the beast with compassion - seeking to understand what it needs to truly feel nourished, seen, and most of all, safe.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ As I begin to build relationships with these aspects of my shadow, they no longer become a liability that I fear, but rather, a great companion. A loyal guardian. A protector by my side.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ Transmuting the shadow doesn’t mean suffocating and killing it off, nor does it mean shaming it away to be forgotten. It means leaning in with love and compassion to truly understand why it’s there in the first place.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ This is how our light can dance with the shadow and before we seek to heal the world of its darkness, we too must first do that within ourselves.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ As above so below. As within so without. I am light as I am dark.⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ 📸: @parkuarto 🎨: @ev.thecreator