![]() “Are the first five things true and the second five untrue?”.Then, you can ask yourself these questions: Imagine five things the newspaper could write about you, but it wouldn’t matter to you.Write down five things you wouldn’t want to be said about yourself.Imagine that a newspaper article is written about you.In one exercise, she suggests trying these strategies: In her book, Ford includes exercises to help readers uncover and embrace their dark sides. A 2018 article suggests that it may even contribute to feelings of:Įmbracing your dark side is also known as shadow work. In theory, poor individuation can result in a distorted sense of self. In the book “ Religion in Personality Theory, ” individuation is seen as the gateway to a sense of higher spirituality. Shadow work occurs when you consciously delve into the dark parts of your personality.īy exploring these hidden facets of yourself, you can become aware of them, possibly opening yourself up to a higher level of perception, consciousness, and self-control. While primary individuation occurs during the developmental years, Jung and other followers of his work believed that it is an ongoing process that shapes one’s personality throughout life.Īccording to Jung, individuation included shadow work. It involves bringing all your personality components together into a cohesive unit. However, to determine the possible benefits of embracing your dark side, some information can be gained from studies on a process known as individuation.Īnother concept introduced by Jung, individuation is the process by which you develop your sense of individual self. It’s something intangible - something that can ’t be touched or measured.īecause of this, there isn ’t a large amount of peer-reviewed data regarding the benefits of shadow work and mental health. Personality is difficult to quantify in research. What are the benefits of embracing your dark side? When we’re trying to prove our worth, we may become someone we don’t even recognize.Īccording to Ford, “We exhaust our internal resources when we try not to be something. We may try so hard not to show weakness or imperfection that we start chasing dreams that we don’t even want, filling our days with empty duties. When we don’t own all parts of ourselves, it can make certain aspects of our daily life challenging. This saved him from a tragic accident that killed his closest friend and severely injured others. This not only “kept him out of fights, ” Ford writes, but in college, it also made him pass on going out with friends when he knew there would be heavy alcohol use. He also hated seeing weakness in others.Īfter talking with Ford, however, Steven realized that he was still a “wimp ” in some areas of his life, and being a wimp actually helped him.įor example, being a wimp made him more cautious. In fact, he did everything he could to prove he wasn‘t weak - from becoming a black belt in karate to lifting weights. His father replied, “What kind of man are you going to make? You’re nothing but a little wimp, you’re an embarrassment in our family. When he was 5 years old, Steven told his father that he was terrified of going on a pony ride. In her book, Ford shares the story of Steven, a man who was worried about being a wimp. “Every emotion and every trait we possess helps show us the way to enlightenment, to oneness. “Every aspect of ourselves has a gift, ” writes Ford, who was a speaker, teacher, and coach. By uncovering and embracing our shadow side, we can accept all parts of ourselves. Our dark sides are a part of our experience. Or, you may have buried them so deep that you don ’t even realize they exist.īut embracing these qualities actually opens the door to happiness, fulfillment, and “true enlightenment,” according to Debbie Ford in her book “ The Dark Side of the Light Chasers.” You may not like these so-called negative traits about yourself. You may sometimes act judgmental, angry, selfish, or controlling. The ones others may have rejected or that we believe deem us undeserving or unworthy of love. It’s the traits we might be ashamed of or embarrassed about. ![]() We all have a “dark side ” - qualities that we often don ’t like to reveal to others.
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