Chapter 7

Shadows

Most stories have conflict. That is the dual nature of our universe. Until the time comes when we’ve healed ourselves enough where duality no longer applies, we must fashion ways to first recognize where conflict is affecting us then work with the emotions which conflict creates.

Let’s talk about the ego for a moment. The ego is a part of you that wants conflict; it uses energy from you, depleting life force, toward constantly spinning your wheels in emotional drama. On top of that, the ego likes to keep these dramas hidden from your conscious mind.

Today we will attempt to shine the light on the shadows which the ego casts. Once light is shining, the shadow can no longer exist. Today we will look at our “negative” dramas, not to dwell on them, but to shine the light of awareness onto them.

Dorothy lands in Oz only to find trouble is looking for her. The “Shadow” appears in the form of a persecuting Wicked Witch. Even though the Witch makes life miserable for Dorothy, it gives her a Quest to overcome and to “prove her worthiness” in order for the Wizard to send her home to Kansas. Think of this shadow as the chrysalis from which a caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. Luke Skywalker, after having an enlightening moment with Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, returns home to his farm and his adopted parents literally burnt to a crisp. His family and farm have been destroyed leaving him only with a burning desire (no pun intended) to fight the oppression of the evil galactic Empire.

First the bad news: it would be entirely common and expected for you to quit now. Every one says they want to change their lives. They’ll try it out for the first few days and then go back to the routine of their everyday lives once the entertainment value wears off. Even if you approach this Quest with much enthusiasm, when you hit that first roadblock your enthusiasm can quickly turn on you. With the same degree of enthusiasm you’ve brought, you could experience the exact same amount of disappointment. Each action creates an equal and opposite reaction. That is the ego’s rule, not the spirit's.

It is in this chapter where you make the hidden shadows conscious. The ego likes to play games with your mind. These games not only go on inside your own head but other people play “Control Dramas” unconsciously with each other. I will cite the control dramas identified by James Redfield in his book The Celestine Prophecy.

Do any of these “games” sound familiar to you?

Intimidation: “You’re not smart enough to do that.” “I will be disappointed in you if you do that.”
Usually the intimidation is a mental or physical statement that says, “You’re not worthy. You’re not good enough. You should feel guilty for even thinking that.”

Interrogation: “What makes you think you’re qualified to do that?” "What makes you believe you're so special?"
The interrogator uses questions that presupposes that you’re not worthy or good enough. Instead of questions that might be constructive, like “Why do you always fail?”, the interrogator will lead you back to a sensation of failure, “Don’t you know you always fail?”

Aloof: This Control Drama is what I call “tuning out”. It's when you develop a sense of apathy and block out all influences. It is very common for someone who is aloof to create another person to be an interrogator.

Poor Me: “Poor Me” is really “self inflicted” intimidation only more gentle than harsh. The inability to heal is the same result however. The harshness of the intimidator can easily create another person to adopt the “Poor Me” mentality.

These Control Dramas, whether in your own head or coming from another person (they’re really both from the same source in different guises), can lead you to feelings of separation, of fear. Fear can manifest itself as Shame, Guilt, Apathy, Grief, Anger, Frustration, or any number of subtle emotions the ego likes to create. Once you develop Pride, Courage, Faith, Trust, Willingness, Acceptance, Forgiveness - you begin to heal the separation ego has created and begin thinking from what I call your “Source” mind.

We’ll discuss the reversal of Control Dramas in the next chapter.

Take a moment to view this list of emotions:

1. Shame
2. Guilt
3. Apathy
4. Grief
5. Fear
6. Desire/Greed
7. Anger/Frustration
8. Pride
9. Courage
10. Neutrality/Trust/Faith
11. Willingness/Determination
12. Acceptance/Forgiveness
13. Reason/Clarity
14. Love
15. Joy
16. Peace
17. Enlightenment

Look over this list one more time. Emotions listed in bold are covered in this chapter. The order in which these emotions are listed will also play a key role in this Quest.

After reviewing each emotion, take some time to reflect on what each emotion means to you. The ability to identify these emotions will play an important role in the next four chapters.

“Shadows” are generally hidden from view, meaning they are mostly unconscious. The greater your Courage is in looking honestly at your lower emotions like Shame, Guilt, and Fear, the greater your ability will be to consistently rise up into Love, Joy, and Clarity. The ability to identify these emotions will help your inner Quest of transferring “Unconscious” Incompetence into “Conscious” Competence and bringing your "unrealistic" dreams into a "realistic" boon of your Quest.

Once again, CLICK BELOW:

DAY 4
DAY 4 (Mike's Journal)
DAY 5
DAY 5 (Mike's Journal)
DAY 6
DAY 6 (Mike's Journal)

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