The Idea of The Shadow Self and Learning to Embrace It

No one is perfect and no matter how kind, polite, and friendly we are perceived by others, we do have parts of ourselves that we may not like or necessarily want to show to others. These undesirable aspects of ourselves are referred to as the “Shadow Self.” Once we learn to embrace our shadow self, we can emotionally grow and live with it.   The term shadow self is used to describe those parts of ourselves that we sometimes struggle to accept. They may include undesirable personality traits, forbidden impulses, or negative thoughts in general. These parts of us are hard to accept because they don’t fit into our self-conception. We then shove these parts away that are undesirable, hence they are in the shadow.   Why is it important to know this other side? Recognizing and integrating that side of ourselves into our experience allows us to become more balanced and fulfilled. It allows us to identify what our needs are to learn to set boundaries and become more self-compassionate. In recognizing our shadow self, we realize that we are not our feelings and they are just feelings that are meant to bring you a message.   Most emotions that are suppressed will eventually bubble up and influence our behavior and mindset. So we need to talk it out and not keep it in the shadows. We can also learn to challenge these thoughts or journal about them to try to understand them. The truth is, we have to learn to accept the pieces of ourselves because the whole being is who we are.   Continue Your Growth Journey: Kaminiwood.com