The Role of the Shadow in Our Daily Lives

The ‘shadow’ is a term introduced by the psychologist Carl Jung to describe the parts of our identity that we reject or ignore. It’s those aspects of ourselves that we may find shameful, unacceptable, or not worthy. For some, this can be certain traits or qualities like jealousy, anger, fear, or arrogance, and for others, it can be their desires or dreams. They may not be attractive, but they are as much a part of us as our kindness, love, and courage. Often, we may not even be aware of these shadow aspects of our identity, which lay in the unconscious, but they still impact our lives in profound ways.

Like secret puppet masters, our shadows pull strings from the sidelines, subtly swaying our decisions, coloring our emotions, and shaping our relationships. They are born from our personal histories, societal conditioning, and the instinctual urge to protect ourselves. When we shine a light on our shadows, we take the reins back into our hands, empowering ourselves to live more authentically.
      - Charlotte, MyLunarSoul (Etsy)

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My shadow manifests as anger. I have a high capacity for risk. I like risk. When there isn’t a significant element of risk in my life, I don’t feel alive. Without risk, I feel that I’m not getting everything I can out of life.

But when I notice myself getting angry at little things – other drivers for instance, or teenagers racing up and down the beach on dirt bikes, or when a police officer pulls me over in the middle of the night for no reason – and I’m not talking a little angry, but furious, it is always because I’m taking on too much risk in other areas of my life.

It has taken me a while to recognize that. Recurring, free-floating anger, unexplainable anger, is my barometer for an escalating though unconscious sense of vulnerability. It is an indicator that risk is getting out-of-control in my life.

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