Humbled by Shadow Work

Embrace failure. Our culture fears it, but it is the foundation of true spiritual growth. The genius of the Gospel is that it incorporates failure into a new definition of spiritual success. The gospel flips conventional wisdom on its head by valuing what society rejects—humility, poverty, and weakness. These aren’t obstacles; they’re opportunities. St. Francis understood this deeply. He lived a life stripped of pretense, embracing what others shunned. His freedom came from accepting his limitations and failures, transforming them into strengths.

We avoid the very things that Jesus praises, and we try to project a strong, secure, successful image to ourselves and the world. True freedom and growth come not from avoiding our shadows but from confronting and integrating them. Our shadow is often subconscious, hidden even from our own awareness. The journey to self-awareness involves facing our contradictions and making peace with our imperfections. It’s a challenging path, but it’s the only way to genuine spiritual maturity. When we stop hiding from failure, we start living authentically, aligned with the deeper truths that Jesus taught.

People who have had no inner struggles are invariably superficial and uninteresting. Let go of the need to project a perfect image. It’s in our vulnerability and acceptance of failure that we find true strength and grace. The path to spiritual success isn’t about rising above; it’s about falling into a deeper understanding of who we are, recognizing that every stumble is a step forward in our journey toward wholeness.

This is the paradoxical wisdom of the Gospel: to win, you must first lose. Only then can you experience the true freedom that comes from living authentically, without fear of failure or rejection. True power lies not in dominance, but in the quiet strength of those who have faced their shadows and come through the other side, transformed.