Admit it, you have one. There is a side to your personality that you aren’t that keen on and you may well work hard trying to hide it from others or even try not to acknowledge it.

The dark side is that part of your personality made up of experiences, emotions, situations and phobias you would rather not have to admit to owning. Your dark side is the part of you, you least like and can range from fear of failure to alcohol abuse or aggressive behaviour. You see it in other people and you dislike it; probably because it shines a light on your dark side and in that moment you have to acknowledge it.

Your dark side can also be about physical imperfection, for example having a skin disorder that you feel bad about or feel people avoid you for. This is also common for people with weight issues. Walls of resentment and other negative thoughts and feelings become a shield.

The bottom line is that your dark side is part of who you are. When you deny its existence you deny yourself the opportunity to fully express you and that can be destructive. You are, after all, one person.

By accepting your dark side you can use the energy wasted on hiding it on much more productive and beneficial pursuits because hiding it does sap energy. Accepting it also allows you to be your authentic self, giving you the freedom to experience all of you and for others to learn to accept you just the way you are (instead of providing some false front that later reveals some unknown or disliked trait).

Knowing how to accept your dark side takes practice and it all starts with identifying those things about you that you do not like. Know what they are, what situations or people bring them to the surface and what that feeling ties into in your life. For example, if you find that you experience a bad mood whenever your partner says he is going out with his friends, ask yourself what that really means. Is it fear of being abandoned? Fear of being insignificant in his life?

Once you know what brings out your dark side it will be far easier to acknowledge it, accept it and, if you choose to, find ways to remedy it.

Darker Side of You

We all have one. Prejudices, dislikes, bad feelings towards people and prejudgement are places where our dark side shows up. Acknowledge its existence, be aware of it and work to lessen its strength. We are human beings and this dark side appears in different ways throughout our lives. We just need to strive to be our better self, most of the time!

What dark side traits have you recognised in yourself?

Live Blissfully!

YvonneB