Show me your weakness,

show me the places where you are most ashamed,

and I will show you your power.

 

Power lies not in conquering, or persuading, or bending backwards to please (and thus influence).

 

Power lies in the ability to stand, and be proud, and know your worth, and not give up.

 

Those parts of you that you believe hold you back,

those shadows that you ignore, or placate, or explain away,

they are the ones that you must befriend.

You must become as intimate with them as your closest friend, or lover, or priest.

 

For, your shadows are your salvation.

They are the crannies in which your power has been safely stowed away, for a rainy day, or another life.

 

Talk to them.

Sit with them.

They will not harm you, unless you ignore them–

then they will run your life.

They will hijack your mind, your emotions, and they will demand a ransom from you and from everyone that you meet.

 

So, better to make the first move,

and to learn the names of your demons–

the ones who bind you, the ones who set you free.

 

When you stop running,

you will find that they stop chasing you.

and you will learn to breathe,

and create space,

and they will learn to settle,

and purr contentedly, and fall asleep in your lap.