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The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance and Dreams
by
We know the shadow by many names: alter ego, lower self, the dark twin, repressed self, id. Carl Jung once said that the shadow "is the person you would rather not be." But even if you choose to hide your dark side, it will still cast a shadow, according to author Debbie Ford. Rather than reject the seemingly undesirable parts of ourselves, Ford offers advice on how to
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Paperback, 208 pages
Published
June 1st 1999
by G P Putnam's Sons
(first published May 18th 1998)
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Start your review of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance and Dreams
I was really not sure what to expect with this book and thought it might go over my head, but it resonated with me.
Debbie Ford basically states that within us are all qualities, good and bad. That is what makes us human and once we can accept that, we can encounter the Divine. We do this by taking responsibility for our actions and learning how to use our negative characteristics for good. I never thought of doing that but by looking at my negative traits in that way, I feel like I have come to ...more
Debbie Ford basically states that within us are all qualities, good and bad. That is what makes us human and once we can accept that, we can encounter the Divine. We do this by taking responsibility for our actions and learning how to use our negative characteristics for good. I never thought of doing that but by looking at my negative traits in that way, I feel like I have come to ...more
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, who wrote about our shadow selves. In The Dark Side of the Light Chasers Debbie Ford makes that journey to know your shadow self a practical journey and this is the tour guide for that journey. We can pretend we have no shadow side, no dark motives, but we do, and if we ignore that as a human being we have both good and bad within us, we run the risk of letting our shadow side sneak up and kick us in the butt. We do, what we don’t want to do, because we
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This book changed my life. Try it!
I came across this book during a very low point of my life. It turned out to be one of those books that contributed to making a difference towards a positive change...for me at least. You need to be introspective to make the most of it and at times it can be painful reading this book. This book will help if you take it seriously. I've read hundreds of books but this one is one of the ones that were memorable and impactful for me on my journey to a more joyful living.
this is not the type of book i read. i sort of told myself that before i got into it, but it was lent to me, and i have no reason not to follow the advice or recommendation of anyone that i keep in my life. yes. it's a self help, self realization, self actualization book. the first of its kind that i read. and i actually enjoyed it. not so much the language, or the flourish. not so much the very familiar colloquialisms that many of these inspirational texts tend to cloak itself in. but rather,
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My favorite part about this book was realizing that everything that I love or can't stand about somebody is an unspoken truth about myself.. really cool experience when I started seeing others as reflections of myself. Debbie Ford offers a practice that enhances confidence, honesty with oneself, and therefore helps relationships with others get easier. I started to see how I am drawn to others who are close to what I think of myself- that what I love about others is also true about me, and that
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"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."
Jung's quote above pretty much sums up much of what Ford's trying to do with The Dark Side of the Light Chasers. She exhorts readers to tackle Shadow Work, a series of practices for "unconcealing, owning, and embracing your shadow", or dark side. Here's why:
We live under the impression that in order for something to be divine it has to be perfect. We are mistaken. In fact, the exact opposite is...more
Aug 27, 2007
Samira
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Thos who would rather be Whole than Good
It's definitely my cup of tea.Those who know abit about "the shadow"-brought up by Jung- would agree 100% what this book has to offer,but those who don;t know would need it in their lives ,specially where they have had or would have challenges with themselves about the attitudes of others.I used to have a lot of "self-punshing thoughts" throughout my short living.but after reading and practising on this book there came a lot of changes.i learnet that rather than trying to get rid of or suppress
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I could not get through this whole book no matter how many times I tried to pick it up and read it....but what I basically got from is it....Don't be afraid of people calling you things...accept that you are that and move on. Everyone has a little witch in them...ect...embrace your inner witch and live with it! Use it when you need it.
This book relies heavily on the Jungian belief of accepting your darker sides. Ford provides several exercises to help you become a more well-rounded and whole person. There's not anything truly new and radical in the book, but she has made the concept and work more accessible to lay people.
It felt a bit narcissistic... Oh me, oh me, how great I am in all the earth!
If you're looking for a serious book to enhance your "Shadow Work" practices, this is certainly one I would recommend to others who asked for reading material. Ms. Ford is exceptionally frank about her own issues and helps guide others down the same path that she walked step by step.
I rated this book 4 stars because I found the exercises within thought provoking and found myself avoiding blitzing the book cover to cover before I could accomplish some practice with them. To the end of knowing ...more
I rated this book 4 stars because I found the exercises within thought provoking and found myself avoiding blitzing the book cover to cover before I could accomplish some practice with them. To the end of knowing ...more
This book was very enjoyable. It was one of those books that is easy to read. On the other hand, if you're not introspective naturally, you might find it difficult to read and digest. Learning about our shadow can be painful. But this subject matter intrigues me.
Debbie Ford has an interesting perspective on the shadow, those aspects of ourselves that we repress and hide. She's explored her own shadow and shares her struggles freely, as well as worked with people in counseling situations and so ...more
Debbie Ford has an interesting perspective on the shadow, those aspects of ourselves that we repress and hide. She's explored her own shadow and shares her struggles freely, as well as worked with people in counseling situations and so ...more
This was the first self-help book that I actually read cover to cover. It hooked me on page 1 by stating something that was clearly in my mind and continued to get me from there, constantly speaking what was in my thoughts and my heart. Bringing to light the dark side of my emotions and trauma. It was a very revealing read, I learned a great deal and it helped to see others from this perspective and to say - AHA! So that is why I think that!
My endless gratitude to Karen for giving me this book ...more
My endless gratitude to Karen for giving me this book ...more
A thought and emotion-provoking book about finding those aspects of yourself that you deny or hate, and allowing them to have a part in your life in a healthy, "whole" way. Although I enjoyed Debbie's anecdotal style of writing, I often felt confused about how knowing your shadow can actually help you become more of a whole person. I wonder if this is simply difficult to do by yourself, even with the help of a book—to find your shadow and own it.
It's easy to see the shadow side of others, ...more
It's easy to see the shadow side of others, ...more
This is one of those mind altering books..where one suddenly realizes theres so much more than we are aware of.
Loved it and starting loving my dark side too now...which Debbie Ford explains is only the suppressed parts of us...and loving and accepting all of it is the only way to heal and become whole again:-)
Loved it and starting loving my dark side too now...which Debbie Ford explains is only the suppressed parts of us...and loving and accepting all of it is the only way to heal and become whole again:-)
May 23, 2011
Alexis
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
spirituality-health,
scc-assigned-reading
"The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" outlines a very powerful program that challenges you to take ownership of every aspect of yourself, even the parts you deny. (Especially the parts you deny.) If your goal is to move toward wholeness and reclaim all of your gifts, I highly recommend this book.
Now that I've highlighted it all over, I'm going to go back through it and do the exercises.
Now that I've highlighted it all over, I'm going to go back through it and do the exercises.
Though extremely New Agey in parts, DARK SIDE is a practical guide to shadow-based self-therapy. I got my first copy from a lover near the end of our relationship, and I've given away more copies than I can remember.
Intriguing peek at how we choose to integrate our shadow selves into our lives
I was in the mood for a good Self Help book, this one hit the spot. Sometimes, you just gotta go there.
I found this book very insightful, it ties in quite a bit with the idea of reflection and self-analysis which I found compelling.
TLDR: I thought I would write a funny review, but I just hated this book. I am giving it two stars because it made me want to learn about meditation but also it sucks.
In the true spirit of this book, I will reflect on both its light and shadow qualities. Light side: This book made me interested in meditation, something I hope to explore in the coming months. It also is a great reminder to seek the positive but acknowledge the negative. You can do the exercises in the book without actually ...more
In the true spirit of this book, I will reflect on both its light and shadow qualities. Light side: This book made me interested in meditation, something I hope to explore in the coming months. It also is a great reminder to seek the positive but acknowledge the negative. You can do the exercises in the book without actually ...more
Dec 25, 2016
Ardalan
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Those interested in digging into the corners of their personality and unconcious mind
Shelves:
non-fiction
If I am not mistaken, The author have based the book on the "Shadow" concept of the Jungian psychology and though I don't have enough knowledge about it I felt she did a great job. The reason I took a star away is I first, I felt It got a bit repeatitive in some parts and could be some 30-40 pages shorter. I'd like to go back to it and re-read it in the future but that issue scares me a little bit and makes me feel regret that I didn't take notes. And second I didn't agree with the metaphysical
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I had such a mixed reaction to this book. I experienced it like like a delicious fillet of fish: nourishing, enticing, and beautiful… but also full of bones. Like I was having to take each bite and chew very carefully, picking out the parts that I did not like, that seemed dangerous rather than deeply nourishing. If I were to recommend this book to a friend, I’d have to tell them how great it us, but also how they need to watch out, for all these bony inclusions that might cause a real problem
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The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Brilliance, Creativity and Dreams
You must go into the dark in order to bring forth your light. When we suppress any feeling or impulse, we are also suppressing its polar opposite. If we deny our ugliness, we lessen our beauty. If we deny our fear, we minimize our courage. If we deny our greed, we also reduce our generosity. Our full magnitude is more than most of us can ever imagine.” - From The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, May 1998
In ...more
Sep 16, 2007
Rei
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
all humans who think they are ok, meaning practically everyone.:)
Shelves:
books-i-love
I think I was merely into the first two chapters of it and I was reading it on the bus when I started crying. I had to face the bus window so that the other passengers in my row would not see that I was crying, almost sobbing. It was crazy but the book hit something in me that I thought was never there. In the next days, I allowed myself to go through the exercises in the book and wow, it released baggages, biases in me that I thought were never there. It's a cleansing experience. I wish I could
...more
The title may sound a little new-agey, but in our society, full of positive thinking and repression, this book was a breath of fresh air. We will never be the person that we want to be by cutting off or denying those parts of ourselves that we deem "bad" or that embarrass us. We have to understand where they came from and come to grips with the fact that we have the potential to become anything, good or bad. Only by embracing our dark sides can we become the holistic, healthy people that we
...more
Sep 20, 2013
James Crotchett
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
personal-progress
I think these concepts and exercises should be required for everyone in my life. This book's exercises and purpose can help anyone better understand who they are as a person, why they are that person, what they need to reconcile with, and how to overcome any of those traits they've always wanted to change about themselves. I will be returning to this often to continue the exercises, which are required to really make a difference.
She's a little kooky about some things, but overall, completely ...more
She's a little kooky about some things, but overall, completely ...more
I'm excited to read this book. I have heard some great things about it, and it deals with women who feel disturbed, and angry often by the way that other people are. this allows you to realize that what you hate about other people may very well be the things that you hate about yourself, because..
every person possesses every character trait imaginable!
i'm excited to grasp parts of my personality that i don't like, and accepting me for who i am :)
every person possesses every character trait imaginable!
i'm excited to grasp parts of my personality that i don't like, and accepting me for who i am :)
Apr 03, 2009
Kathy
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
everyone, especially people who are always blaming others or trying to fix other people.
Recommended to Kathy by:
Healing Circle at the Olive Garden, NY
Shelves:
self-help
Fabulous book to deal with your dark side, shadow. And most importantly to deal with things (as in personality qualities) that you don't like in other people or things you are jealous of in other people. You MUST read a chapter at a time and then DO the exercises at the end of each chapter. If you don't, then you will miss the powerful gift that this book is.
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Readers also enjoyed
Debbie Ford was an American author of self-help books. Her first book, "The Dark Side Of The Light Chasers", spawned eight more books in the genre and dealt with confronting one's "dark side" rather than ignoring it. Ford also hosted television and radio shows related to her books.
She passed away due to complications from cancer in 2013.
She passed away due to complications from cancer in 2013.
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“It is only when we have the courage to face things exactly as they are, without any self-deception or illusion, that a light will develop out of events, by which the path to success may be recognized.”
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“All of your so-called faults, all the things which you don’t like about yourself are your greatest assets,” she said. “They are simply overamplified. The volume has been turned up a bit too much, that’s all. Just turn down the volume a little. Soon, you—and everyone else—will see your weaknesses as your strengths, your ‘negatives’ as your ‘positives.’ They will become wonderful tools, ready to work for you rather than against you. All you have to do is learn to call on these personality traits in amounts that are appropriate to the moment. Judge how much of your wonderful qualities are needed, and don’t give any more than that.”
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