YOU ARE THE NEW MEDIA FOR THE NEW AGE
”We are emerging from an age where deception was considered an art form and where the inauthentic influence of celebrities fooled millions of people around the world. Now, we are entering into a New Age, one where people no longer worship the rich and famous but where individuals like you can create ripples of transformation through authentic storytelling. Never underestimate how much influence you can have on someone else just by being honest. By being who you are with full integrity, by sharing your story, you give others permission to do the same.
Andrew MorrisseyMentor | Media | Earth Guardian
Everyone has something that they hide beneath the surface of themselves. Something they don’t want anyone else to see, something that goes unrealised and denied. According to Carl Jung, this is your shadow. Much like a physical shadow that is cast upon the ground, your shadow Self is prone to projecting feelings of inferiority in oneself and moral deficiency in others.
So, then, how does one conquer the shadow? How do you consolidate yourself with this negative piece of your soul? Should you even bother?
The shadow lurks behind the persona—the mask—that you wear every single day. It sees through your eyes, and it knows whether or not you wear your mask well. Yet, when you try to identify with a fake persona or even one that does not capture the whole essence of yourself, you overlook those parts of Self that have true undisputed value.
You must dive into the Shadows to find the Light.
Society punishes us by telling us we’re not normal or we’re not living our lives correctly. In doing so, we tend to push down those pieces of us that do not fit into society as a whole.
Those pieces sink into the oblivion of Shadow, and they fester there. Instead of learning to accept these pieces of ourselves, we commit them to an internal asylum—the dark side of our personalities—and end up with nothing but anxiety. Unless you integrate your shadow into your consciousness, you will be forever under the influence of anxiety. Of false perceptions and pressures.
The world right now is being broadly affected by the global pandemic called COVID-19. The “mask” that many are donning is not just a physical thing. It’s representative of something deeper, more complex. I believe that right now is the time to delve deep into the shadows, to see all of the superficial personas being thrust upon the world stage. Populations are waking up to the truth of the world.
Global consciousness is expanding. We’re starting to let the Shadow Self work as it should have all along, and we’re giving others the confidence to do the same. As we start integrating the shadow more and more, we begin to see our true selves—and the truth of others around us.
Jung calls this “self-realization.” It is part of Individuation or a process “by which the personal and collective unconscious is brought into consciousness to reveal one’s whole personality.” In other words: self-actualization.
The philosopher and mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh tell us that there are three dimensions of the mind: the conscious, unconscious, and superconscious. During self-actualization, we find our true Self can realise all these dimensions. However, in order to do that, we must see the truth behind our false personas and give way to authenticity. Let the masks drop.
Moving forward, you might find that dropping those false personas and masks to be painful. Self-actualization is not bliss, but it is important. You might lose friends, family, clients… but you will gain something greater: your super-self. Think of it as an epic hero journey. Embrace it, own it, and live your own epic tale.
Who’s behind the mask? Only you will know.
THE ONE BEHIND THE MASK
“Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is… Furthermore, it is constantly in contact with other interests, so that it is continually subjected to modifications. But if it is repressed and isolated from consciousness, it never gets corrected.” – C.G. Jung
THE BRAVEST THING YOU CAN DO IS OWN YOUR STORY
THE POWER OF CHOICE
The bravest thing you can do is live your own life story.
I recently talked about the shadow—the one behind the mask. Those unconscious projections are not us completely, but at the same time, they reflect the parts of us that have been ignored and smothered. Society plays a massive role in the formation of the shadow, as do traumas and repressed thoughts and feelings.
Most of us go our whole lives without ever considering the negative side of ourselves.
Unfortunately, ignoring the darkness means disregarding a vast piece of who you are. None of us are purely made of light. We all have a little shadow in us. Some more than others. And it is okay. Because the shadow can’t hurt you if you accept it for what it is.
The moment you become aware that the shadow is just another sliver of self-awareness, you realize that you are in control of it. That you can make decisions about your life that you never thought possible.
But, this isn’t how things are going to be forever. It is part of a game—one designed to diminish your light. It is meant to quash your heroic potential.
This is seen everywhere, from music to movies and even in real life. Characters are challenged, conflicted, and forced to make decisions based on their turmoil. Even in present time, we humans are being challenged greatly. But we also have to make choices that affect our destiny. Not just your destiny, and not just mine. All of us.
Regardless of your political beliefs or how you perceive the dilemmas burdening the world, there is continuous, inescapable stress and anxiety. Uncertainty is driving some of us (maybe most of us) crazy. Some interactions provoke while others force us into periods of defeat.
Consider Erin Brockovich. She is a real-life example of someone who rose up to meet a Goliath challenge and, just like David, she was able to overcome something so much larger than herself.
Even though Brockovich had minimal understanding of the law, she built a firm case against a giant corporation—Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in 1993. It was such a monumental thing that “Erin Brockovich” became a movie.
What I am trying to say is that you have to channel some of that won’t-back-down Brockovich energy. You have to stop standing in your own way and believe in the process. Stop telling yourself stories that pander to the anxiety and the stress and the uncertainty. The moment you start working on yourself for your own advancement, the farther you can continue on with the hero’s journey.
A true hero always rise to the occasion. Will you?
YOU MUST DIVE INTO THE SHADOW’S TO FIND THE LIGHT.
ANGER IS NOT YOUR ENEMY
Mark Twain once said, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” When you don’t know how to harness anger, it’s like drinking poison. But anger doesn’t have to be your enemy.
Sure, anger has caused a lot of problems in human history (and maybe even your own history). Anger destroys relationships, makes you do and say terrible things. Wars used to break out like fire from flint and tinder because someone was angry with someone else. And like wildfire, that rage was soon out of our hands. Out of control.
Some psychologists even suggest that depression is repressed and unexpressed anger. Depression is also the perpetuation of negative thought patterns. That is why it’s important to delve a little deeper than the surface level of your consciousness to see what’s going on subconsciously.
See, when someone confronts your beliefs, you automatically go into fight mode. You want to protect yourself—and your reality. Without those beliefs, your ego wouldn’t know what’s what, and you end up feeling disillusioned. Maybe, you even get angry, because you’re confused, frustrated, and misunderstood.
But instead of repressing that anger or even lashing out like a wildfire, you should confront it. The first step is to recognize the thoughts and beliefs that are limiting your perspective of the world. Identifying those beliefs means considering your past experiences—relationships, schooling, and so on.
Anger can trigger a transformation, as long as you realize that anger is just one way of protecting your ego. So, ask yourself, “Why is this making me angry?” What is going on in that moment that grates your nerves? What does that mean for your ego? Don’t let anger blind you. Be more open to the experience. More conscious.
Learn to understand where the anger comes from, and you will be able to see deeper into the truth of yourself and everything around you.
Use anger the same way a captain quells a raging sea. Navigate the tides, and never turn your gaze from those wrathful waves. The moment you do, anger wins, and you end up creating tension and even chaos within yourself.
There’s another way to use anger: as a boundary marker. Sometimes, anger occurs when your integrity is being undermined and chipped away. It’s a clear indication you need space and boundaries. The moment you get angry and your realize your integrity is at stake, step back and say no.
Just say no.
Healthy boundaries and self-awareness mean so much, so don’t undermine yourself by bottling everything up. Even negative emotions can teach you something vital.
Rather than ignoring anger, use it creatively, and learn from your emotions, your mistakes, and your successes!
