Awakening the Sacred Self: A Path of Self-Love, Shadow Work, and Wholeness

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

—Robert Frost—

Bald Rock National Park, NSW, Australia

I grew up with a quiet, yet powerful sense that beyond the visible world, there existed an ineffable, sentient energy—something far more expansive and potent. Though I didn’t have words for it at the time, I felt it in everything: the warm caress of summer wind on the prairies, the golden light of a candle flickering on the wall, the sweet scent of sun on skin after a day at the beach. Most of all, I recognized it in the sacred presence of trees, plants, and the earth beneath my feet. Life’s rhythm whispered in all things, and I listened. I was deeply connected to the world around me—when it hurt, I hurt; when it rejoiced, so too did my soul.

But as I grew older, I felt a palpable disconnect between this deep knowing and the world around me. Society preached a prescribed path: school, work, retirement—a life spent building walls around one's fortunes, property, and heart, all in the name of safety and preservation. The pursuit of security always seemed to take priority over joy, stillness, adventure, or any real sense of connection. At times, I felt entirely lost within this blueprint, unsure of where I belonged in a world that valued conformity over authenticity at every turn.

It took me several years to fully realize that the ‘culturally accepted’ path was never mine to follow. In time, I began to remember what I had once known as a young child—that there was another way of being. A unique path that was mine to discover and unravel.

In the quiet, I listened to my heart’s wisdom and met with my truth: life is far more than what meets the eye. If what we call reality is only a mere 1% of the entire spectrum of light, then how much more is there to explore… to feel… and to experience? The intangible, the mysterious, the wild path without guarantees of security—these called to me more powerfully than the predictable, or socially acceptable ways of living.

As a child, I chose quality over quantity, often spending hours alone—not in isolation, but in communion with the unseen. In that stillness and reverie, I remembered the language of plants, animal spirits, and the elements. Returning to this simplicity as an adult, I surrendered to the path less travelled, where moss and fern-clad earth whispered its secrets, and the smell of rain-soaked soil reminded me that there was magic everywhere.

This path—this journey of knowing, resisting, and eventually coming home to myself—has led me here, to this moment of remembering what it means to be a coherent whole. I now understand that what makes us different, what sets us apart from the crowd, is not what makes us vulnerable, but what makes us exquisitely beautiful, interesting, and precious. This sacred unfolding has been one of consciously exploring and integrating the limitless facets of my being through lived experiences and deep introspection. I feel called to share this with those who are also seeking their own authentic path, to remind you that you have probably always been closer to your truth than you realize

In this process of returning to wholeness, there is a universal portal through which we all may pass: Self-love. It is not merely an emotion felt, but a conscious re-integration; A courageous choice to bring our shadow—those parts of us we’ve judged, hidden, or denied—into the light of awareness and unconditional acceptance. In embracing these essential parts, we learn to love ourselves as we would love a child—no matter what we’ve done, who we’ve been, or how far we’ve strayed. When we allow ourselves the grace to be seen in all of our messiness, we begin to feel safe in our vulnerability and beautiful in our authenticity. The parts we once feared or condemned are often the very places where our greatest strength, freedom, and power lie waiting.

Self-love is rooted in the deep knowing that we are intrinsically worthy. Nothing in the world can prove that we are or aren’t—our worth simply exists as universal law. Look into a child’s eyes and tell me that child isn’t worthy. Well, you and I both, were born ‘that child.’ By embracing the full spectrum of human experience—the highs and the low lows—we are reminded that we are God having an embodied human experience. It is in our capacity to feel deeply that we remember we are alive and that we came here to be courageous in the moments of breakdown that lead to breakthrough. We came to swim in the dark void and to revel in the rapture of our interconnectedness with All That Is. To remember the wild, untamed essence within us that has never surrendered its sovereignty for the promise of safety, and still longs to dance barefoot to the sound of beating drums around campfire.

The magic we so desperately seek has always been inside of us, for the whole entire universe is a living, breathing expression of the same energy that flows through our veins.

To live life ‘wholy’ is to see ourselves reflected in the eyes of another, understanding both their pain and their pleasure. It is realising that there is no “I” without the grace of “other,” no chaos without cosmos.

And so, I invite you, fellow traveller, to reflect on your own path. How are you moving toward your fullest expression? What parts of yourself are you learning to love and integrate? For in our stories, in our shared vulnerability, we touch the pulse of our interconnectedness. Together, we can walk this path of regeneration, re-membering the truth of who we are—the magic that is our very essence—and has always been.