Is Awakening Really About Meeting Our Demons?
When we talk about awakening, the conversation often turns toward shadow work, facing our demons, or “doing the deep inner work.” And yes, there’s value in that. There’s courage in sitting with pain, in exploring the unconscious patterns that hold us back. But here’s a question that’s been stirring in my soul:
What if awakening isn’t about fighting the darkness at all?
What if it’s about realizing the only reason it exists is because we keep breathing life into it?
The Power of Our Focus
Our thoughts are powerful. They are creators. What we dwell on, we energize. What we fear, we feed.
So when we constantly go to war with our inner demons—when we treat our shadow like an enemy that needs to be conquered—we’re still locked in a loop of resistance. We’re still in a relationship with fear.
But what if the shadow isn’t trying to destroy us?
What if it just wants to be acknowledged, loved, and integrated?
Letting the Shadow Sit at the Table
You don’t have to banish the darker parts of yourself.
You don’t have to exile the pain, shame, fear, or anger.
In fact, the more you try to exile them, the louder they get.
But when you say:
“I see you. I understand where you came from. And I don’t need you to drive anymore,”
everything softens.
The shadow doesn’t need to be in charge.
It just wants to be included.
Seen.
Heard.
Honored for the role it played in your survival.
From Driver to Passenger
What if your fear didn’t disappear, but just moved to the back seat?
What if your trauma didn’t vanish, but was no longer steering the ship?
What if you let those parts ride along, knowing they don’t have control anymore?
That’s not denial. That’s transformation.
It’s saying:
“Thank you for your lessons.
Thank you for your protection.
Now I’m choosing love.
Now I’m choosing peace.”
That’s the true essence of shadow work—not judgment, but integration.
Breathing Love Into the Dark
When we hold the dark parts with love instead of fear, something beautiful happens:
They begin to diminish, not because we fought them, but because we no longer need them.
Love dissolves what fear exaggerates.
Appreciation transforms what shame distorts.
We don’t ignore the shadow.
We appreciate it.
We learn from it.
And then we let it settle into the background, no longer controlling the narrative.
So, What Is Awakening Really?
It’s not about slaying demons.
It’s not about fixing yourself.
It’s about remembering who you are—a being of light who sometimes walked through darkness and picked up a few patterns along the way.
It’s about choosing not to energize what no longer serves you.
It’s about letting the false stories fall away.
And it’s about stepping into the fullness of your truth, unburdened and unafraid.
Awakening isn’t a battle. It’s a homecoming.
Affirm This:
“I no longer fight the darkness within me.
I breathe love into it.
I let the shadow rest.
I hold the lessons.
And I choose to live in my light—rightly and properly.”
Support the Awakening
If this message helped you shift your perspective, consider supporting Awakening the Universe. Your donation helps us continue sharing tools, teachings, and heart-centered guidance for those on the journey of remembering who they are.