You are here on purpose! And, when you stop listening to your small self, with its “who do you think you are” and “too big for her pants” thoughts, you know it, too. You, with all your quirks and specificities, are here on purpose. And I am here to remind you of it.
You Have Gifts
You have beautiful, powerful, essential gifts to share with the world. Some are easily evident, like kindness and generosity, the love you offer the people in your life. Others may not seem so obvious to you, or perhaps you think the world is not open to them. Some require polishing, honoring, honing. They are all for sharing, whether it is in private or public, secretly or not, inwardly or outwardly.
Shadow Aspects
But here’s the thing. We can’t really honor those gifts, we can’t fully know them and offer them when much of our energy is going to denying, banishing and otherwise repressing parts of ourselves that we wish were not there. And, make no mistake, we all have them. Inside of me lives a Whiny Andrea; and also a little Victim, who constantly feels targeted; and a very large, overbearing Failure, who needs to stay out of the limelight and hide. These “shadow” parts that I would rather not own up to, that limit me and hold me back, are real, they are energies in my energy field. When I ignore them, repress them and deny them, I find myself actively fighting to keep them out of my thoughts. Then I catch myself repeating their suffocating mantras. I realize they are seeping out along the cracks and there is nothing I can do to keep them down!
Until I acknowledge them, allow them to speak. Until I offer them compassion for their fierce and limited view of life. I must offer myself, we must offer ourselves gentleness and love, for having them. When we do, the shadow parts lose much of their energetic force, their magnetic hold on our consciousness. And then, we can choose to nourish and nurture the parts of ourselves that serve us best, we can choose consciously who we are growing into. We can allow our radiance to shine, and share our gifts with the world, in spite of shadow parts.
I invite you, now, to create a safe space and build a moment for reflection. Ask yourself: What are your shadow aspects? What do they tell you that you should be ashamed of, you should hide, or keep yourself from doing or being? If you like, write these down. Think of experiences you wish you had not had, and experiences you wish you had, but did not allow yourself. Ask yourself what aspect of you judged you, in these experiences. Write them down, too. Perhaps you will find that you have a name for each aspect, or maybe you want to give them one. Let each speak, hear the messages, knowing that their ultimate intent is to protect you. Thank them for caring, and reassure them that you will take care, that they can trust you, and that now you are in charge. Offer them love and gentleness. If you do Tapping, you can use that, too. And when you are done, clear the energy (by burning sage or rattling, for example) and make a plan to do something that the shadow aspects had been keeping you from.
Share what you do; I’ll celebrate with you! If you can use additional support, let me know, I will be happy to help you embrace the whole of yourself so that you can share all of your gifts abundantly and who you are capable of being.
Sego lily plant photo by darktaco.




