Dark Side

We all have a dark or shadow side.  Personally, I lived within it for many years, while using, drinking and being unpleasant, meaning I let that negative aspect of myself dominate my thinking and actions.  Over the years, I have learned to bring that part of myself into consciousness, emotionally embrace it, and not to act on it, a process I call “holding hands with the dragon”.  I now live within love, another part of myself.  I let love dominate my thinking and actions and apply that love to my dark side.  It now feels inclusive, like total self-acceptance, which I can also apply to others.