It is important to look at the identifications and labels we use for ourselves. There is a need to delve deeper and make conscious which part of us and why it chose them and which beliefs, judgements and fears attach us to them.
There is a need to look at their diametral opposite and see where and why it, or the traits associated with it, may lie repressed and rejected in us. Persisting past the defenses and smoke screens of the ego we can uncover how these traits are expressed through us in unconscious ways.
Observing it more we realize how we hide a vicious circle of repression, expression and self punishment from our awareness when we are obsessively attaching to an identification or label. Confronting these patterns, reflecting on the truthfulness of their underlying beliefs and judgements will slowly diminish them and release the energy blocked and stagnated in their upkeep.
Being attached to an image, identification, or label is an expression of a old wound keeping a stranglehold on our inner child, thereby severely limiting our life experience by creating repetitive cycles of, painful experiences and undercutting our ability of manifesting the life we wish for.
I sincerely hope you hear me when I tell you, positive identifications and labels hurt us as much as the negative do. No label or identification truly serves us! Go back and read the previous sentence again and let it sink in.
The light of inquiry, meditation and knowing brings change and allows the shadow parts of us to painfully and yet joyously come back to life and add their wisdom and tools to our engagement with life. Bringing us closer to wholeness and balance.
I realize the stories of when and how I picked them is mostly irrelevant or of a cursory importance in my shadow work. What is important, though, is the gentle integration of what I once learned to reject and deny by dropping my judgements and welcoming these aspects as members of my inner tribe of selves with love, compassion and most importantly with humor. This is the path of the heart warrior who brings love and peace to himself and therefore to all.
When I write about embracing all of our feelings, traits and selves I do not mean that we drop kindness or consideration and become insensitive hurtful egotists. What i am talking about is that we let go of splitting our natural feelings, sensations and thoughts into welcome and unwelcome and stop repressing in favor of living with acceptance, curiosity and openness to all of our experience within and without.
I realize more and more the need to free ourselves from internalized corsets of acceptable expressions and behaviors to be who we came to be and to have more compassionate and joyful relationships with self and others.
Photography: Unknown
