Dealing with the dark side

Let's face it, to misquote Morrisey 'some days are better than others', life is just like that. Sometimes circumstances, sometimes the people around us, sometimes the things that happen or the things we do mean the way we feel is affected and life can become tough. Sadness, fear, anxiety, guilt, anger, insignificance are all feelings and, if we are honest, all feelings we all have from time to time. As a result 'some days are better than others' and some days we would rather forget.


I have been thinking about Claire Squires quite a lot recently and today, the total money raised is now above one million pounds. Brian Draper's article for the BBC news magazine has been a helpful response for me  BBC News article here  as he tries to articulate how a nation responds to such a sad and seemingly meaningless loss. Those sponsoring Claire are 'joining in' with the narrative, becoming the story and re-articulating the story. The darkness, Claire's untimely death, is not eradicated yet a glimpse of meaning can be found, on a practical basis people will benefit from the additional work that the Samaritan's can now undertake and Claire's family and boyfriend will stand even prouder as they are upheld in a nation's outpouring of support. Feelings of grief and sadness and loss are not lessened but theses actions offer a glimmer of hope or light.

Earlier this week I went to visit Sister Ann Sullivan, she is a renowned expert of MBTI and Jungian theory and a most perceptive person. I was privileged to spend a few hours with her on a one to one basis and I have been given much to think about. Maybe for now just this one thought, Ann asked me what was wrong with anger, after me wriggling a bit and trying to answer she responded 'there is nothing wrong with anger it can be used to dig the garden you know', this is so obvious and yet so incisive, the feelings that we all have are not intrinsically wrong, even on those dark days, it really does depend on what we do with them. How might our 'shadow-side' or even our 'dark-side' be used in a way that is helpful and dare I say beneficial?