Mustering the Courage to Face Our Dark Side.

Carl Jung, the famous Swiss Psychiatrist, named our dark side 'the shadow.' He taught that when we do not recognize our shadow side, or are unwilling to look at it, it tends to become demonic. We need to realize that our fears are apart of that shadow side. And when we do not bring those fears to light, they do tend to take us over in ways that seem crazy or demonic. Fear is expressed in a thousand ways. Fear is closely related to apprehension, uneasiness, anxiety and out and out panic.

Fear is behind rigidity, intolerance and fanaticism. Fear is at the root of indecisiveness and hesitancy to take action. Fear is behind much of our disorganization, disorderliness or sloppiness, or their opposites, nit picky organization, compulsive cleanliness or an obsessive need for order. When we bring our fears up for air and look at them in the light of day, they often are not as fearsome as we thought they were. Unconscious forces gain power when we hide from them, when we say, "I don't want to look at that. It's too frightening."

As we shrink from them, they increase their negative hold over us. When we face and name those dark motives, thoughts or feelings, they become less daunting. As we mobilize our heart's higher power, wisdom and love, we turn the light on in that dark space of consciousness. Shedding light on your scary dark side. As an example, perhaps you have a tendency to shade the truth, to lie. Hiding under that tendency is your fear of what might happen if you tell the truth. Your spiritual antidote could be to take the following steps.

1. Pray for the courage to speak the truth
2. Muster up the courage a second before the lie sneaks out.
3. Take a deep breath and speak the truth.
4. No matter what happens, congratulate yourself for winning a victory over your dark side. 

Take courage to look into your subconscious, to look into the unconscious, to bring your shadow parts to your outer awareness, to give them a name. Remember how Jesus named the devils before he cast them out? He would say, "What is your name?" For instance, before he cast out the devils from the Gadarene man, he asked the unclean spirit it's name. And the unclean spirit answered through the man, saying, "My name is Legion: for we are many." And the devils are then entered into a herd of swine.

The naming of the inner devils becomes a teaching for us today. Once you name a point of fear, it is no longer an unknown controlling force. You have defined it, circumscribed it and started to detach from it. The fear loses some of it's negative power in the very process of being recognized and named. It becomes a manageable energy that you can cast out and replace. And in that process of replacement you have a turn around in consciousness. You can replace fear with enlightenment. You can replace it with faith in yourself and your inner walk. You can replace it with equanimity in the face of misfortune. You can replace it with loving care for yourself and others. And you begin to realize it's a great life if you don't weaken!

Until next time....Enjoy the day.

*Copyright(c)2010.Post Created by Sherrie Vitello.Titled: Mustering the Courage to Face Our Dark Side.Excerpts taken from the book: Emotions; Transforming anger, fear and pain. By Marilyn C. Barrick, PhD.