LOKI – The Shadow Self

My shadow is personified as LOKI (Marvel), God of Mischief. A selfish, cunning trickster.

Loki is resourceful and cunning. Selfish. Motivated for the wrong reasons. Thinks things through and always one step ahead of the situation (for me, a form of overthinking). Constantly has things going on behind the scenes. Trained in illusions. Devious. God of mischief. Tricks and fun. Calm and collected no matter what’s going on (hard to know what’s really going on, masked well). Analyzes situations. Manipulative. Always an ulterior motive.

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My Shadow Qualities

As a master of manipulation and deception, my shadow side loves parlor tricks to keep me distracted from the path my soul wants to walk and the growth I want to experience. My shadow is capable of analyzing the situation and always knows the ‘best’ thing for me to do, but rarely is it THE best thing as the shadow is constantly seeking personal gain over the collective gain (of the soul). The shadow likes to make a big deal about his status and his pursuit; “look at me!” “Look at my challenges!” The shadow does what it wants, when it wants; if not kept under wraps, the shadow will do nothing but play games and cause mischief.

However, the shadow is quite resourceful and cunning – for it needs to for its survival and to be able to get itself out of sticky situations. At times, these characteristics can be leveraged for growth. Through resourcefulness, things can get done quickly and effectively. Through foresight and analysis, it can see the path ahead and potential obstacles before they become a problem — and outmaneuver them. Through selfishness, it knows how to take a step back and recognize what it truly wants and needs. Through its independence, it can stand stand alone and have the confidence to follow its own path.

If left to its own devices and not leveraged correctly: the shadow does nothing but deceive, distract, pacify, and cause all sorts of mischief and chaos in life — leaving destruction in its wake.

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My shadow has robbed me of …

• Opportunities to grow in my business.
• The chance to connect authentically with people.
• Living a “great” life.
• Being a recognized leader.
• Opportunities to feel “in” the crowd/activities I want to be engaged with.
• The chance to have already spent years being deeply immersed in what I love, instead spent “waiting” and being passive.
• Self confidence.
• Ability to take initiative more consistently.
• Willingness to ask for help.
• Chances to step out of my comfort zone for growth.

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I’m ready to lovingly silence the shadow because …

The shadow is trying to survive. It may have aspects that help me thrive if leveraged correctly, but its core intent is survival – of itself. It doesn’t know any better. It always has an ulterior motive, and that motive is almost never growth oriented. It wants to distract me and keep me from doing the things my heart calls at me or in the things that will be directly beneficial to my growth. The shadow doesn’t believe in the potential of becoming a “great,” instead relying on “woe is me” and continues to cling to the way things were.

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When I stop listening to the shadow …

I find the truth within my heart and where my true North is. I become deeply focused on who I really am, where I am going, and what I want to accomplish. Distractions and “parlor tricks” no longer have the same sway on me that they used to. I become more confident and more galvanized for living life. I capitalize on opportunities as they present themselves and I’m focused more on the present moment. I take on an entirely new presence that is confident, independent, resourceful — perhaps the best characteristics of the shadow, used for growth.

“I do what I want, Thor!” – Loki

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Originally posted on Facebook for the Get Your Sh*t Together Challenge in January 2019.

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// Image by Agustin Gaute