Debbie Ford

• Many of us are frightened to look within ourselves, and fear has us put up walls so thick we no longer remember who we really are.

• By choosing not to allow parts of ourselves to exist, we are forced to expend huge amounts of psychic energy to keep them beneath the surface.

• Whatever we refuse to recognize about ourselves has a way of rearing its head and making itself known when we least expect it.

• Our society nurtures the illusion that all the rewards go to the people who are perfect. But many of us are finding out that trying to be perfect is costly.

• Remember, all the answers you need are inside of you; you only have to become quiet enough to hear them.

• For when I can love all of me, I will love all of you.

The best place to get started with Debbie Ford is to read her book, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers. In the beginning of the book, she immediately defines its focus:

Most of us set out on the path to personal growth because at some point the burden of our pain becomes too much to bear. The Dark Side of the Light Chasers is about unmasking that aspect of ourselves which destroys our relationships, kills our spirit, and keeps us from fulfilling our dreams. It is what the psychologist Carl Jung called the shadow. It contains all the parts of ourselves that we have tried to hide or deny. It contains those dark aspects that we believe are not acceptable to our family, friends, and most importantly, ourselves. The dark side is stuffed deeply within our consciousness, hidden from ourselves and others. The message we get from this hidden place is simple: there is something wrong with me. I’m not okay. I’m not lovable. I’m not deserving. I’m not worthy.

Simply put, we all have a dark side, and if deny our dark side, it will cast a “shadow” that will negatively impact our lives. In her book, Ford teaches us how to confront these “shadows.” You can achieve harmony and “let your own light shine through” by owning every aspect of yourself. To Ford, “owning” means to “acknowledge that a quality belongs to us”. She explains, “The purpose of doing shadow work is to become whole. To end our suffering. To stop hiding ourselves from ourselves. Once we do this we can stop hiding ourselves from the rest of the world.”

According to Ford, “By facing these aspects of ourselves, we become free to experience our glorious totality: the good and the bad, the dark and the light. It is by embracing all of who we are that we earn the freedom to choose what we do in this world. As long as we keep hiding, masquerading, and projecting what is inside us, we have no freedom to be and no freedom to choose.”

Ford’s step-by-step guidebook is based on the course that she developed about embracing the shadow. Her advice frequently comes from experiences with friends and in workshops that she has taught or attended.

Debbie Ford has appeared on such television programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and The Roseanne Show and has been featured in publications like O: The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, and Self. Her Integrative Coaching Training Program challenges participants to reclaim their greatness in every aspect of their lives and equips them with the skills and distinctions to facilitate a unique form of coaching.