Me and My Shadow

I read this book last month entitled The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self by Debbie Ford, Marianne Williamson, and Deepak Chopra. It dealt with the concept of the Shadow, the aspect of ourselves that we do not like, that we endeavour to repress, that we try to hide from society. Yet repression in fact damages our soul and psyche even more. It is by learning to embrace these parts of ourselves that we can in fact find balance once more.
In spirituality we tend to focus on the light, the happy, the joyful. Yet this is not all there is in the cosmos. There is sorrow, pain, night has to proceed day. In fact, as much as love the summer sunshine, it is the cloudy days that make me reflective, the dark night sky that inspires mystery, the cold winter day that makes you curl up in your warm bed and relax, the intoxicating sensuality of the music in a night club. Our Shadow is just as important as the bright light within us. Our Shadow is the Deep Mystery of God, just as our light is Divine Love.
Remember as you walk this world, the complement of opposites that bring life to balance. Night brings rest and regeneration. A seed begins its journey in the darkness of the earth before it sprouts into sunlight, just as we swim in the dark waters of our mother's womb before entering into the light of the world.