“I’m really good at taking things personally,” I laughed to myself as I put a positive spin on a self-deprecating remark. Like Monica from “Friends” was really good at giving bad massages…This specific statement was on my mind since I had just read the Conscious Discipline concept QTIP: Quit Taking Things Personally.
Later that day I ran into a co-worker who described to me how her classroom had been working out so well. At first she had been apprehensive since the room didn’t have any natural light—she simply couldn’t imagine it working out. But it ended up that the classroom flow was great and when it came to learning about the ninth plague of Darkness (part of the biblical story of the ten plagues), they were the classroom to visit! This teacher put a positive spin on a negative situation. She looked at the bright side, which in this case was darkness…
This is like the phrase, “Embrace your shadow”—instead of feeling shame for your weaknesses, embrace them while striving to grow. It’s all about self-awareness, self-acceptance and feeling whole—if you don’t accept your shadow you are denying a part of your self and therefore are not whole.
Embracing your shadow means acknowledging ALL parts of yourself as you strive to be better. And channeling those not-so glamorous parts into creative energy.
Mindful Nuggets 