One Apple A Day #465 - being real
"How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole." — C.G. Jung
We all want to be loved, liked and appreciated. The desire to belong is one of the basic human needs. Sometimes thou, this can get in the way of our ability to live fully. Particularly at this moment in history, when we are all overexposed. We begin to focus more on being, or I should better say appearing, good than on being real. At least, this is what happened to me. Growing up I've always been a good guy. Don't get me wrong, it's a great thing. But at some point, I got stuck in that role. I believed that being "the good guy" was the reason why people loved me. So, I did that. For the first thirty years of my life, I sealed any potential shadows away. I wanted everyone to see only the lights. Including me, and that's the worse part. I was deliberately ignoring my shadows. But they didn't go away just because I ignored them. And in doing so, I was neglecting my wholeness. It didn't last. You can't sustain an entire life without substance, without being whole. I had the opportunity to restart, and I started by acknowledging and taking care of my shadows.
It was nice to be good. But it's even better to be real.