Dear Graduate,

You are probably well aware by now that you didn’t kill off the Dark Side! This is not a cause for self-recrimination or hopelessness. You have done nothing wrong. The Dark Side is a part of being human, it is a part of your neurobiology, and you are not unenlightened, or hopelessly broken because it exists within you. It could be likened to an automatic pilot or the default operating system on your computer that is now outdated.

 

Its voice is a familiar and consistent part of your inner dialogue, because it is composed of the voices, perceptions, and experiences of childhood and has been talking to you for a lifetime. It therefore can feel convincing, like the insistent voice of reason and truth, but absolute, rigid, and often cruel in its delivery. It’s basically an energy system that has no power except what you give it when you listen to it as guidance – it’s the fast track to your Left Road.

 

You are so much more than your Dark Side! You are a magnificent and creative spirit with vision and purpose and presence and love. So, meet your Dark Side with the compassionate mindfulness of your “Spiritual Warrior” by:

·      Building your resilience

·      Learning to recognize the Dark Side voice

·      Remembering that as long as you live you will have patterns that pull you back to the Left Road

·      Using your tools and practices to build your skill in coming back to yourself, again and again and again

 

You have the power of love. Remember, the Dark Side is driven by fear and the need to stay safe, while our Spiritual Self acts from love. When we embrace the Dark Side as a part of being human, we can, as Pema Chödrön says, “place the fearful mind in the cradle of loving kindness.”

 

Today’s action step: De-energize a pattern! Think of a pattern that that has been getting in your way. Close your eyes and tune into the pattern. Feel where it is in your Body. Put your hand there, grab the pattern, throw it on the floor, and squish it with your foot. If you want, you can even stomp it.

 

Next step: Download the attachment for additional action items and more.

 

Your next weekly honk will be sent on Monday!  

Love & Light,
Your Hoffman Teaching Team