Practical Lesson.
Meet Dave.
Dave is the most direct route to discovering our shadow.
Dave happens to everyone.
Dave is one of the greatest teachers we’re ever going to have.
Whatever Dave did, whenever Dave showed up and however Dave triggered us, Dave served one purpose and one purpose only: to connect us to our pain.
Dave could be that narcissist that made everything about him, which made us feel like we had to do whatever it took to satisfy his needs or make him happy. So often this meant diminishing ourselves, relinquishing our power, wants, and needs in order to earn his love.
Dave could be that person who didn’t return our texts for days, even though he made it seem like he was interested. His excuse was that he’s just “too busy”, so when he was available, it felt as if it was a gift or a favour that he was sharing his time with us.
Dave could be that person who ghosted us after a few great dates or a couple of weeks or months of hanging out, leaving us to wonder what we did wrong.
Dave isn’t always part of a romantic connection, although often that’s how he enters, because we’re usually most open to learning something when our guard is down and we’re vulnerable.
Dave could also be the one who made one seemingly innocuous comment about our appearance, or mannerism that stayed with us because it triggered an insecurity we might have buried.
Dave could even be that boss or teacher we respected who had criticized us, making us feel worthless or question whether we really had the skills or drive to be successful, throwing us into a shame spiral that could have lasted years.
And when we connect to our pain, we connect to our karmic themes:
Looking at our Dave highlights this for us.
Getting Close to Dave.
Can you recall a particular Dave you had in your life? If so, how did Dave make you feel?
How do you think Dave fits into your particular karmic theme?
Do you still feel that your relationship with Dave is impacting you in the same way? If so, how?