59 Shadow Work Quotes to Enlighten Your Inner Journey

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1. “Our shadows hold the essence of who we are. They hold our most treasured gifts. By facing these aspects of ourselves, we become free to experience our glorious totality; the good and the bad, the dark and the light.

– Debbie Ford

Debbie Ford Quote: “Our shadows hold the essence of who we are. They hold our most treasured gifts. By facing these aspects of ourselves, we become free to experience our glorious totality; the good and the bad, the dark and the light.”

2. “Shadow is that hidden, repressed, for the most part, an inferior and guilt-laden personality whose ultimate ramifications reach back into the realm of our animal ancestors.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “Shadow is that hidden, repressed, for the most part, an inferior and guilt-laden personality whose ultimate ramifications reach back into the realm of our animal ancestors.”

3. “Every pain, addiction, anguish, longing, depression, anger or fear is an orphaned part of us seeking joy, some disowned shadow wanting to return to the light and home of ourselves.

– Jacob Nordby

Jacob Nordby Quote: “Every pain, addiction, anguish, longing, depression, anger or fear is an orphaned part of us seeking joy, some disowned shadow wanting to return to the light and home of ourselves.”

4. “Poems are always interested in what Ivan Illich called ‘shadow work,’ not least because that is no small part of their own way of working.

– Jane Hirshfield

Jane Hirshfield Quote: “Poems are always interested in what Ivan Illich called 'shadow work,' not least because that is no small part of their own way of working.”

5. “Shadow work is the path of the heart warrior.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “Shadow work is the path of the heart warrior.”

6. “Carl Jung called this his shadow work. He said we never see others. Instead, we see only aspects of ourselves that fall over them. Shadows. Projections. Our associations.

– Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk Quote: “Carl Jung called this his shadow work. He said we never see others. Instead, we see only aspects of ourselves that fall over them. Shadows. Projections. Our associations.”

7. “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

– Rumi

Rumi Quote: “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

8. “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.

– William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare Quote: “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.”

9. “Don’t you realize there’s no longer any difference between you and your-monster? You are the monster. It’s your dark side, your shadow self, and you’ve now joined as one.

– Alyson Noel

Alyson Noel Quote: “Don’t you realize there’s no longer any difference between you and your-monster? You are the monster. It’s your dark side, your shadow self, and you’ve now joined as one.”

10. “We all have a dark side. Most of us go through life avoiding direct confrontation with that aspect of ourselves, which I call the shadow self. There’s a reason why. It carries a great deal of energy.

– Lorraine Toussaint

Lorraine Toussaint Quote: “We all have a dark side. Most of us go through life avoiding direct confrontation with that aspect of ourselves, which I call the shadow self. There’s a reason why. It carries a great deal of energy.”

11. “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

12. “Committing to YOU is deep work; you have to look at your shadows and release what no longer serves you.

– Lisa Manyon

Lisa Manyon Quote: “Committing to YOU is deep work; you have to look at your shadows and release what no longer serves you.”

13. “There is no light without shadow, and no psychic wholeness without imperfection.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “There is no light without shadow, and no psychic wholeness without imperfection.”

14. “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.”

15. “The disowned part of self is an energy – an emotion or desire or need, that has been shamed every time it emerged. These energy patterns are repressed but not destroyed. They are alive in our unconscious.

– John Bradshaw

John Bradshaw Quote: “The disowned part of self is an energy – an emotion or desire or need, that has been shamed every time it emerged. These energy patterns are repressed but not destroyed. They are alive in our unconscious.”

16. “There is no light without shadows, just as there is no happiness without pain.

– Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende Quote: “There is no light without shadows, just as there is no happiness without pain.”

17. “The rewards are profound. Shadow-work enables us to alter our self-sabotaging behavior so that we can achieve a more self-directed life.

– Connie Zweig

Connie Zweig Quote: “The rewards are profound. Shadow-work enables us to alter our self-sabotaging behavior so that we can achieve a more self-directed life.”

18. “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”

19. “Shadow-making happens in families and makes us who we are. It leads to shadow-work, which makes us who we can become.

– Connie Zweig

Connie Zweig Quote: “Shadow-making happens in families and makes us who we are. It leads to shadow-work, which makes us who we can become.”

20. “Light and shadow are opposite sides of the same coin. We can illuminate our paths or darken our way. It is a matter of choice.

– Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quote: “Light and shadow are opposite sides of the same coin. We can illuminate our paths or darken our way. It is a matter of choice.”

21. “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote: “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine.”

22. “Life is about finding the balance between light and dark. Embracing our shadows gives depth to our existence.

– Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves Quote: “Life is about finding the balance between light and dark. Embracing our shadows gives depth to our existence.”

23. “What you are you do not see. What you see is your shadow.

– Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore Quote: “What you are you do not see. What you see is your shadow.”

24. “The leaves’ autumn colors were muted in the shadows they settled among.

– Jazz Feylynn

Jazz Feylynn Quote: “The leaves’ autumn colors were muted in the shadows they settled among.”

25. “Important is not so much our place in the theater of the world but our acceptance in the theater of our inner self.

– Erik Pevernagie

Erik Pevernagie Quote: “Important is not so much our place in the theater of the world but our acceptance in the theater of our inner self.”

26. “Innovation comes from challenging conventions, even the ones within ourselves. Embracing my shadow has been my secret weapon in pushing boundaries.

– Elon Musk

Elon Musk Quote: “Innovation comes from challenging conventions, even the ones within ourselves. Embracing my shadow has been my secret weapon in pushing boundaries.”

27. “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.

– Michelangelo

Michelangelo Quote: “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”

28. “I had to confront my shadow, that dark side of me that I didn’t want to admit existed, but it was the key to my true power.

– Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey Quote: “I had to confront my shadow, that dark side of me that I didn’t want to admit existed, but it was the key to my true power.”

29. “I have prayed for years for one good humiliation a day, and then, I must watch my reaction to it. I have no other way of spotting both my denied shadow self and my idealized persona.

– Richard Rohr

Richard Rohr Quote: “I have prayed for years for one good humiliation a day, and then, I must watch my reaction to it. I have no other way of spotting both my denied shadow self and my idealized persona.”

30. “What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?

– Mikhail Bulgakov

Mikhail Bulgakov Quote: “What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?”

31. “Its mystery vanishes, like a shadow, the moment the light aimed at your characters turns back upon yourself.

– Doran Larson

Doran Larson Quote: “Its mystery vanishes, like a shadow, the moment the light aimed at your characters turns back upon yourself.”

32. “To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light.”

33. “Projection [of our own shadow] makes the whole world a replica of our own unknown face.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “Projection [of our own shadow] makes the whole world a replica of our own unknown face.”

34. “People are afraid of shadows. People are even more afraid of being in the shadow. But without a shadow, life will be two-dimensional.

– Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono Quote: “People are afraid of shadows. People are even more afraid of being in the shadow. But without a shadow, life will be two-dimensional.”

35. “Your Shadow is all of the things, ‘positive’ and ‘negative,’ that you’ve denied about yourself and hidden beneath the surface of the mask you forgot that you’re wearing.

– Oli Anderson

Oli Anderson Quote: “Your Shadow is all of the things, ‘positive’ and ‘negative,’ that you’ve denied about yourself and hidden beneath the surface of the mask you forgot that you’re wearing.”

36. “Our work is to integrate and eventually transcend darkness and light altogether by holding them equally in a state of interconnection.

– Sasha Graham

Sasha Graham Quote: “Our work is to integrate and eventually transcend darkness and light altogether by holding them equally in a state of interconnection.”

37. “My journey with fame was a dance with my shadows. It taught me that authenticity is the ultimate rebellion.

– Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga Quote: “My journey with fame was a dance with my shadows. It taught me that authenticity is the ultimate rebellion.”

38. “It’s part of what we call the Shadow, all the dark parts of us we can’t face. It’s the thing that, if we don’t deal with it, eventually poisons our lives.

– Michael Gruber

Michael Gruber Quote: “It’s part of what we call the Shadow, all the dark parts of us we can’t face. It’s the thing that, if we don’t deal with it, eventually poisons our lives.”

39. “It hurts to live in trauma; it hurts to heal from trauma… It takes courage to make a choice. Choose wisely.

– Johnnie Dent Jr.

Johnnie Dent Jr. Quote: “It hurts to live in trauma; it hurts to heal from trauma… It takes courage to make a choice. Choose wisely.”

40. “Your shadow is here for a reason. Not so much to terrify or invalidate you,but to help you see what you’re afraid of and to teach you how to tame that fear.

– Helen S. Rosenau

Helen S. Rosenau Quote: “Your shadow is here for a reason. Not so much to terrify or invalidate you,but to help you see what you’re afraid of and to teach you how to tame that fear.”

41. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. Embracing our shadows is the path to true connection.

– Brene Brown

Brene Brown Quote: “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. Embracing our shadows is the path to true connection.”

42. “By learning to recognize when your own archetypes are taking over, it’s easier to observe when other people are living from their shadow selves.

– Catherine Carrigan

Catherine Carrigan Quote: “By learning to recognize when your own archetypes are taking over, it’s easier to observe when other people are living from their shadow selves.”

43. “A man is whole only when he takes into account his shadow as well as himself – and what is a man’s shadow but his upright astonishment?

– Djuna Barnes

Djuna Barnes Quote: “A man is whole only when he takes into account his shadow as well as himself – and what is a man’s shadow but his upright astonishment?”

44. “Accept yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, your truths, and know what tools you have to fulfill your purpose.

– Steve Maraboli

Steve Maraboli Quote: “Accept yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, your truths, and know what tools you have to fulfill your purpose.”

45. “It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.

– St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena Quote: “It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.”

46. “The Shadow Life is real life but it can only be for those who don’t deny the truth about themselves, the world, and reality by becoming AWARE, cultivating unconditional ACCEPTANCE, and talking real ACTION.

– Oli Anderson

Oli Anderson Quote: “The Shadow Life is real life but it can only be for those who don’t deny the truth about themselves, the world, and reality by becoming AWARE, cultivating unconditional ACCEPTANCE, and talking real ACTION.”

47. “Everything we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quote: “Everything we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.”

48. “I embrace my shadow self. Shadows give depth and dimension to my life. I believe in embracing my duality, in learning to let darkness and light, peacefully co-exist, as illumination.

– Jaeda DeWalt

Jaeda DeWalt Quote: “I embrace my shadow self. Shadows give depth and dimension to my life. I believe in embracing my duality, in learning to let darkness and light, peacefully co-exist, as illumination.”

49. “You know how fragile the shadow is! Light falls on it and the shadow disappears! Some of the shadows that we fear and believe that they will always rule our lives also suddenly disappear!

– Mehmet Murat Ildan

Mehmet Murat Ildan Quote: “You know how fragile the shadow is! Light falls on it and the shadow disappears! Some of the shadows that we fear and believe that they will always rule our lives also suddenly disappear!”

50. “If such a person wants to be cured it is necessary to find a way in which his conscious personality and his shadow can live together.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “If such a person wants to be cured it is necessary to find a way in which his conscious personality and his shadow can live together.”

51. “The shadow is needed now more than ever. We heal the world when we heal ourselves, and hope shines brightest when it illuminates the dark.

– Sasha Graham

Sasha Graham Quote: “The shadow is needed now more than ever. We heal the world when we heal ourselves, and hope shines brightest when it illuminates the dark.”

52. “The spiritual practice isn’t about rejecting darkness—it’s realizing that both the light and dark are love.

– Drew Gerald

Drew Gerald Quote: “The spiritual practice isn’t about rejecting darkness—it’s realizing that both the light and dark are love.”

53. “If you are burning, burn. If you can stand it, the shame will burn away and leave you shining, radiant, and righteously shameless.

– Elizabeth Cunningham

Elizabeth Cunningham Quote: “If you are burning, burn. If you can stand it, the shame will burn away and leave you shining, radiant, and righteously shameless.”

54. “At times you got to find the untouched parts within yourself to be able to discover the true you

– Etheria Divine

Etheria Divine Quote: “At times you got to find the untouched parts within yourself to be able to discover the true you”

55. “When we are aware of our weaknesses or negative tendencies, we open the opportunity to work on them.

– Allan Lokos

Allan Lokos Quote: “When we are aware of our weaknesses or negative tendencies, we open the opportunity to work on them.”

56. “By reintegrating our shadows, we reclaim our ‘lost selves’ and begin to truly know our Wholeness.

– Christie Inge

Christie Inge Quote: “By reintegrating our shadows, we reclaim our ‘lost selves’ and begin to truly know our Wholeness.”

57. “The best political, social, and spiritual work we can do is to withdraw the projection of our shadow onto others.

– Carl Jung

Carl Jung Quote: “The best political, social, and spiritual work we can do is to withdraw the projection of our shadow onto others.”

58. “The person you call an enemy is an exaggerated aspect of your own shadow self.

– Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra Quote: “The person you call an enemy is an exaggerated aspect of your own shadow self.”

59. “If you don’t accept yourself, you can’t transcend yourself and the world; first, you need to increase your awareness, then you need to accept what you learn, then you need to take action.

– Oli Anderson

Oli Anderson Quote: “If you don’t accept yourself, you can’t transcend yourself and the world; first, you need to increase your awareness, then you need to accept what you learn, then you need to take action.”
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The authors behind the website "Best Quotes From" are a small group of individuals with diverse interests. They have come together to curate a collection of the most famous quotes from different domains.