A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO READ MY NEWSLETTERS OR SEE MY POSTS ON FACEBOOK OFTEN TELL ME HOW POSITIVE I AM.

AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, I AM GENERALLY A POSITIVE FORCE OF LIGHT. I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN, AND I ALWAYS WILL BE...

WITH THAT BEING SAID LIFE AND HEALING IS A JOURNEY, AND EVEN I HAVE THOSE DAYS AND MOMENTS THAT ARE NOT SO FULL OF SUNSHINE.

WE ALL HAVE OUR MOMENTS DANCING WITH OUR SHADOWS.

OUR MOMENTS DANCING WITH THE DARK.

FOR ME PERSONALLY, I GET FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY WHEN MY EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT FULFILLED OR WHEN THINGS DON'T GO MY WAY.
I COMPARE MYSELF TO OTHERS, GET COMPETITIVE AND INSECURE WHEN I SEE PEOPLE ACHIEVING GOALS THAT I HAVE YET TO ACHIEVE MYSELF.

AND SOMETIMES, I JUST HAVE A STRAIGHT-UP NEGATIVE TAPE RUNNING RAMPANT IN MY HEAD WHERE I THINK NOTHING BUT DISMAL, DREARY THOUGHTS FOR MY FUTURE!

HOW DO WE MOVE FROM A SHADOWY GHETTO TO THE SPACE WHERE WE MEET OUR FULL SELVES, BRIMMING WITH OPTIMISM, AWARENESS AND LIGHT?

SHADOW-WERK.

IT'S FUNNY TO USE THE TERM 'WORK' THOUGH

(OR 'WERK' IF WE WANT TO BE IN TOUCH WITH OUR DRAG QUEEN SIDE ;) BECAUSE WE THINK THE WORD 'WORK' MEANS DOING SOMETHING, LIKE CHANGING OR FIXING IT.

BUT WITH SHADOW-WERK, THE "WORK" ACTUALLY IS TO DO NOTHING...EXCEPT OBSERVE.

ACCORDING TO MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SPIRITUAL TEACHER RAM DASS, OBSERVING THE SHADOWS MEANS INVITING THEM 'IN FOR TEA'.

THE WORK IS GETTING TO KNOW THE SHADOWS.

GETTING REEEAAAALLLLY INTIMATE WITH THEM.
NOT TO JUDGE THEM.
(YOU'RE HUMAN, AFTER ALL AND EGO CAME WITH THE PACKAGE.)
THE WORK IS TO INSPECT THEM, OBSERVE THEM AND NOTICE THEM.

TO MAKE THE SHADOWS YOUR FRIENDS.
TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR THEM JUST LIKE YOU WOULD IF THEY WERE YOUR FRIENDS....

SO HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THOSE SHADOWS?
AND WHERE CAN YOU GET UNATTACHED TO THE SHADOWS AS THE TRUTH AND INSTEAD SEE THEM AS MATERIAL FOR EVEN MORE AWARENESS OF YOUR SELF?