The Shadow That Drives Us
The Shadow That Drives Us
Hey friends,
A client of mine—an accomplished CEO—has run her company for over 30 years. We met a decade ago at a retreat, and she soon began coaching with me. Her earliest goal was to rebalance her “time pie chart”—a visual of how her days were divided. At that time, her work dominated and soul-nourishing pursuits like reading, meditation, movement, and retreat time barely registered.
Through the years, I've come to know her as a seeker at heart. But the external world keeps getting her attention. And here she is, in her mid-sixties, vexed by the same tension.
The Questions That Won’t Go Away
In a recent session, I asked her these questions:
- When is enough enough?
- When does doing give way to being?
- When does the quest for more get replaced by the peace of enough?
- When does tending to one's interior become the priority?
I ask these questions not to criticize but to invite reflection. I see this pattern everywhere: people sensing a deeper calling but staying too busy to answer. We say we’ll slow down eventually, just not yet. But the clock keeps ticking.
The Call to Reorder
For many of us, the urge to keep doing, achieving, and producing is driven by unconscious patterns we’ve never fully examined. That’s where shadow work comes in, helping illuminate the inner conflict between who we are and who we think we need to be to feel worthy or secure.
So I’ll ask again, for all of us:
- When is enough enough?
- What would it mean to reorder your days to reflect what you value most, not just what demands your time?
- What have you postponed that’s quietly asking for your attention?
- And what slight shift could you make this week that honors your inner life?
These aren’t questions to rush through. Let them linger.
The Invitation to Pause
Sometimes, space is the only way to hear what your spirit’s been whispering. If you're feeling an inner call, consider joining me for a plant medicine retreat. We don't yet have a specific date, but sometime between June and the beginning of August. We're letting the Universe decide.
Wishing you abundant health, happiness, and prosperity,
Mark
Answer the Call
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to prioritize what matters. If you feel stretched thin, spiritually undernourished, or stuck in a loop of doing, consider stepping away. I host retreats designed to help people like you rediscover what’s essential. Join us—your inner life is worth the time.
Questions for Reflection
What does it mean to say “yes” to your inner life?
It means giving regular attention to the parts of you that don’t generate income or praise—your thoughts, feelings, values, spirit. It’s living from the inside out.
What signs suggest you’re overdue for a pause?
Persistent fatigue, lack of joy, the sense you’re always behind, or feeling disconnected from your deeper self—all of these are signals.
Why is it so hard to slow down, even when you want to?
Because our culture rewards productivity and external achievement. It takes courage and clarity to choose presence over performance.
