Light creates images we can register. Light is the force that reveals the world in front of us. Whether it is stage lighting, store lighting or bathroom lighting, we depend on it to find see what is around us. In order to Progress lighting, is used to illuminate the path. What often gets neglected are the shadows. Without shadows, without contrast, the view becomes flat and depth perception becomes difficult. The same is true of our internal lives, the dark patches are part of what make up a personality. It is often what lurks in the shadows that forms our lives and determines many of the choices we make.

In film the director of photography paints with light. He or she is concerned with light ratios, the relationship of dark to light. A scene in a room at night would have greater ratios then a scene during the day, creating near black areas of the screen. Daylight scenes would still have areas of contrast, but the shadows would still hold visible objects. It is an intriguing question when applied to our internal lives, what is the light ratio? Are we unaware of the details in the shadows of our soul or can we see enough details to know the nature of our selves? If our internal world was nothing but bright light, would we be able to distinguish between the light and dark in another soul? Should we even try to dry out all of the shadows?

Any story worth telling will be filled with conflict. A film about happy people doing happy things in a happy world is not a compelling or interesting way to spend a couple of hours. We are interested in stories about people struggling to overcome obstacles. In every classic hero story, the hero has a fatal flaw, an Achilles heel, or kryptonite. Many of the greatest films had imperfect heros and villains with redeeming qualities. From The Godfather to Avatar, we are attracted to characters that grow and change, discovering their limits in thinking or feeling and rooting for them. The public attraction is based on our own struggles to overcome the obstacles that every life faces.

Not a single soul has walked the earth that hasn’t been challenged by obstacles, either internal or external. Most will tell you that confronting these challenges has brought them character and compassion. Whether the shadow we confront is created by grief, fear or insecurity, it is often these shadows that bring depth to our lives and make us wise and hopefully happier.

When the shadows are embraced and we no longer hide our perceived flaws or vulnerability, then we are able to be fully who we are. By confronting our shadows, we often discover the very source of the light that brings us joy.

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