SELF-COMPASSION
You can’t believe you’re down here in the Shadow. You would never chose this awful place over the Light.
Wait… the Light?
Suddenly the music you just heard sends a flash of memories that start coming back to you.. memories of what was inside the Light Path door.
It must be that your memories return once you’re inside either the Light or the Shadow!
You then remember the key! That key was supposed to guide you, but you lost it just before getting pulled into the Shadow!
You hear a voice inside your head. “It’s okay, my dear one. The key isn’t meant to come down here anyway.”
You quickly recognize this voice as Harashnu, your future self from the Light!
“When we embraced back in the Light I melded a portion of my energy with yours. I’ve been with you all along and forgot all about the Light just as you have, but now that our memories are back within the Shadow, you can hear me more clearly,” replies Harashnu.
It’s all coming back to you now, and it dawns on you that you have TWO future selves! One trapped here in the Shadow and Harashnu from the Light!
Your Future Shadow Self interrupts your internal realizations and boldly declares, “I Am Taraheem.” And if you don’t like what you see in me then GET OUT!” they scream.
You’re beyond speechless. You didn’t realize that you’ve been staring at your Future Shadow Self Taraheem this whole time.
Existing in this place feels like a thick heavy weight pressing down on your chest. When you try to speak, nothing comes out.
As you clutch your chest in pain, you notice that Taraheem is doing the same.
A heavy chain is adorned around their neck with a large metal lock dangling on the end, in front of their chest.
You realize that must be the lock to the key!
“That is correct,” whispers Harashnu in your mind,
“Now you see why it has been so hard for me to want to leave the Light to come here. To face me… my Shadow self, Taraheem… to face US… in this dreadful Shadow state,” laments Harashnu.
Taraheem shouts again, “WHAT are you staring at!?”
Taraheem looks down at the lock in front of their chest and exclaims,
“Oh, you’d like to know what this is wouldn’t you? Well, you’ll soon find out the simultaneous power and weakness that this brings upon me because YOU did this to me! It is because of YOU I can never leave this place! YOU.. my ignorant self-righteous past self, are to blame for ALL of this!”
Suddenly you feel overwhelming love & compassion for Taraheem, your Future Shadow Self.
As frightening as they appear, you now fully comprehend how they truly are YOU in the future. Every negative piece of you that you always wished you could throw out over the years.. every regret, every ounce of self-hate… ALL of that is still part of YOU… and you’re now staring at the sum of it all, as one giant terrifying being in Taraheem.
With this new deep realization of self-compassion, you yearn to do anything to take away Taraheem’s pain. Could the lock around their neck be causing the anguish?
What do you do next?