What is the Shadow?

This great question is answered clearly and concisely throughout Debbie Ford’s thoughtful and affecting film, The Shadow Effect.  The shadow has many faces or masks as far as I’m concerned.  My shadow is so often hanging out in the form of people that I can’t bear to be around.  

This is a great exercise that’s brought to light in the film (and something that one of my earliest life mentors shared with  me when I was no more than 10 years old) – think about someone that drives you nuts.  Someone who just seems to push all your buttons and gets you all tied up in knots. 

Now sit back and take some deep breaths and ask yourself which of those annoying qualities are in you?

You’re onto something now — when you start owning those “negative” qualities and even forgiving yourself for having them, they start to disappear outside of you.  Really.

Your shadow, as much you try to hide out from it – is actually a gift too. 

Let’s face it, the more you try to suppress something, the more it keeps popping up.  It’s the underside or the secret you’ve been keeping – from everyone and desperately trying to keep from yourself.  You spend all your energy trying to hide from your secret (in hand analysis our shadows often come in the archetypal forms of our life lesson that’s translated in our fingerprints).

So your shadow — when you’re ready to believe it - is a gift.  You’ve got to be willing to unwrap it, look at it and dig deep to see what you can learn and how learning from and accepting your shadow, you can set yourself free.

Deepak Chopra adds his insight to this film, and one of things he said, “You have no shadow if you’re standing in the dark,” really resonated with me and it probably will for you too — why? Because who wants to stand in darkness!?  What difference can you make in the world when you’re hiding your light?  Exactly.  The truth is, its our SHADOW that not only sets us free from self-doubt and hiding out, but it also is so often related to how we put our purpose to work in the world.  When we get over the Shadow we are uniquely qualified to help other people who are hiding the same shadows!  Brilliant.

Ultimately, the gift of the Shadow Effect for me was a deeper understanding of how this thing – this bit of myself that I felt no one would ever forgive so I better just hunker down and commit all my energy and intelligence to hiding it – was holding me back from success on my terms. 

We often talk about wiping out our negative beliefs, but somehow, wathching The Shadow Effect, and hearing the insights of everyone from Debbie Ford, to Marianne Williamson to Deepak Chopra and James VanPraagh and more helped me commit to doing the work of releasing the pain and fogiving myself.  The Shadow Effect movie that I have came with the film and an interative version. 

I watched the film on Sunday and then watched and did the exercise in the interactive version on Monday. 

The Results of Forgiveness

After doing the exercises and completing the interactive version of The Shadow Effect on Monday here’s some of what’s happened (today’s Wednesday)

• I’ve raised my rates and booked 3 clients who had been on the fence for more than a year about working with me
• My class which had been partially full on Sunday sold out and was full when I went to teach on Monday night
• 3/4 of the students in my class are interested in further work with me
• I’ve created more loving boundaries for me, my family and my work and that’s resulted in a greater sense of self-love and balance
• I am direct and honest in asking for what I need: from clients, friends and loved ones
• I am attracting the perfect partners for joint-ventures in my business – again, three people who I’d been loosely talking to suddenly coalesced and we’re creating project together that are going to benefit our customers and our businesses

And this is only Wednesday afternoon.

Is it magic? No. 

I committed to doing the work (and to be honest, tears were shed) and the results were worthwhile.

* The links to Shadow Effect Movie throughout the review here are affiliate links.  However, I do not receive any compensation from this link, rather these are the wonderful people who have helped me and shared with me this amazing opportunity to heal myself and move forward. They deserve more than the loose change they’ll get when you purchase either the on-line version of the movie or the DVD so I hope you consider using the links!