EP 486: Seeing the Shadow

Published: April 13, 2021, 3:54 p.m.

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\\u201cUntil you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.\\u201d

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-CG Jung

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As we grow up, we construct our moral compass around how we see those whom we look up to interacting with the world.

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For instance, my awesome older cousin was cool and collected and moved with steady confidence.

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So the jittery energy I felt in my body, the opposite of the coolness my cousin embodied, was something to be expelled and avoided at all costs!

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And so for many years, this other side of me was kept in the dark\\u2026 What Carl Jung called the shadow.

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For most of my life, this created a fate-like power over me in ways I describe in today\\u2019s episode:

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And it was only when I was able to integrate this unconscious shadow into my conscious mind that I could become the fullest and truest version of myself. (A version that is my absolute favorite version, by the way!)

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While many people turn to therapy to uncover this shadow within them, we can also uncover and integrate this shadow through the practice of mindfulness.

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With presence, acceptance, compassion, and curiosity, we can make the unconscious conscious and break free from what we believe to be our own fate.

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But just as therapy is done with a caring and trained professional who will ensure that the process is safe and beneficial, working with a teacher or a coach in your development of mindfulness is strongly encouraged.

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If you\\u2019d like to attend a no-cost, 45-minute coaching session with me to see if we\\u2019d be a good fit, you can schedule it here:

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https://calendly.com/artburns/45-min-coaching-session

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And if you\\u2019d like to support my work on the Showing up to Your Life program, here\\u2019s your link:

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https://www.patreon.com/artburns

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