10 Ways You Know If It’s Your Shadow

Everyone has a shadow.

Shadows are those untamed emotions and behaviors that lie, largely unconscious, beneath the surface of our lives that constitute the damaged versions of who we are.  They may be sinful; they may simply be weaknesses. Most importantly, they lie concealed just beneath the surface of our more proper selves.

You know it’s your shadow when:

1. You are defensive when someone corrects you or points out your flaws.
2. You are triggered by a person, or circumstance, saying things you often later regret.
3. You act out inappropriately when under pressure.
4. You dismiss others when they bring up a difficult issue about you and your behavior.
5. You keep doing the same thing over and over despite the negative consequences.
6. You are angry, jealous, and envious – a lot.
7. You do and say things out of fear of what other people think.
8. You become busier when you are anxious rather than more reflective.
9. You are a driving perfectionist.
10. You have contempt for someone you formerly admired.