Though I've never been through hell like that,
I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back.
If you're lost and alone,
or you're sinking like a stone,
carry on!
May your past be the sound,
of your feet upon the ground.
Carry on.
Carry on, carry on.
(Fun, Carry On)
In the symbol of Taoism, yin and yang happily coexist side by side. Both sides respect, define and complement each other. Similarly, can you imagine light telling darkness that it has no business being there? Planets like the earth give the sun a purpose, to enable life by channeling its abundant energies. Physics will tell you that where there is a sun and a planet orbiting around it, one side of the planet always has to be covered in darkness.
It is a noble and our GOD-given right to follow peace, love and happiness by traveling a spiritual path. But when against our best efforts an unknown dark force erupts, triggered by events that are apparently outside of our conscious control, we need to understand why. Maybe we negate something about ourselves by always reaching for the light. Maybe we haven't quite found our life's purpose and need reminders that now is a good time to change course. Or maybe we buried our passions in the name of spirituality while the shadow encourages us to embrace them. In short, just maybe we abuse ourselves by always trying to be nice, balanced and self-less. Whatever it is, it is only fair to accept that we are human, and we can use these set-backs as stepping stones in our journey and learn to be a bit smarter and wiser next time around.
It is true that drunkards and thieves come out at night, but it is equally true that the darkness of the night rocks us in a beautiful sleep, connecting us with our SPIRIT. Similarly, there is destruction as well as potential hidden in our shadow. GOD talks to us all the time, reaffirming our steps as we advance on our journey HOME, as well as telling us what we can do differently when we miss a step along the WAY. When we deliberately miss a step along the WAY we will only self-attack, but when we stumble inadvertently, the WAY has a sign waiting for us to grow out of the darkness.
Thus far we have only embraced half of our journey and looked down on the nightly excesses with spiritual arrogance. Shouldn't we be proud of our human heritage? Just look how far we have come so do we really need to beat ourself up over a missed step here or there? When sleepless nights bother us we may me in need of some adjustments along the WAY. Let's find them. When we stumble, let's make it part of the dance!
Lets not attack ourselves for being human. Who knows what the shadow episode was for. Maybe we hadn't quite understood some subconscious processes, whereas today we do. Maybe the pain of the temporary separation from the WAY gives us the necessary will-power to try harder next time around. Maybe we finally have figured out how to combine our passion with purpose. Or just maybe we only need to be a bit more understanding and kinder towards ourselves.
When the self meets the SELF, when man finally lives in harmony with SPIRIT and when yin merges with yang, we have earned to right to get a good night's sleep. Until that blessed moment, let's carry on!
This is the last note in the shadow series. Please also check out:
Transcending the Battle of Good and Evil
Spotting the Beauty within the Shadow
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