“Reclaiming the parts of ourselves that we have relegated to the shadow is the most reliable path to actualizing all of our human potential. Once befriended, our shadow becomes a divine map that—when properly read and followed—reconnects us to the life we were meant to live, the people we were meant to be, and the contributions we were meant to give. Embracing our inner beast is the ticket to freedom. It is the conduit for tapping into all our greatness.

It makes our inner life rich and meaningful and our outer life more enjoyable. It allows us to bask in wholeness rather than be constrained by the limitations of a self that was created by smoke and mirrors. Why smoke and mirrors? Because if we have created our public image or persona out of only those qualities we have deemed acceptable, we will have left out some of the most important, potent, and flavorful parts of ourselves.”

Excerpt From: Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson & Debbie Ford. “The Shadow Effect.”