I learned this week that several of our amazing Hay House authors—Debbie Ford, Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson—just released a collaborative book called The Shadow Effect. 

In it, these luminaries explore the most crucial obstacle to happiness that we face—the shadow.

In celebration of this news, I’d like to share a review I wrote about Debbie’s equally transforming film from which this book evolved. If you’ve ever been afraid of the darkness that lurks in your life, The Shadow Effect—both the book and the movie—will truly show you the light.

“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” — Marie Curie

I took a copy of Debbie Ford’s new movie home with me the other night. I don’t usually have time to enjoy a full-length feature after work, but I was assigned to write something about it for this blog. I put The Shadow Effect DVD in my player and sat back on the couch with my dinner—ready to be entertained.

I began to watch startling news footage of terrorism, politicians gone bad, social injustices, and economic hardships. I heard staggering statistics about how 50 percent of the world is living on $2 a day. I saw Debbie tell us how she was in constant denial of her drug addiction until it almost killed her.

I noticed that my dinner wasn’t settling too well in my stomach. I was uncomfortable watching this film. I hate to admit it, but I like my reality a little sugar-coated. This was not the “feel good” movie I thought it was going to be.

But shadows aren’t supposed to be fun, right? They manifest themselves as our deepest fears and our darkest secrets. They are the insecurities we hide so people will still believe we’re perfect. They are the childhood fears that escape when our feelings are hurt. They are the mean streaks that slip out when someone dances on our last nerve.

Sometimes it’s easier not to pick up the newspaper. Sometimes it’s easier to sweep the bad news and negatives under the rug. But those piles just get bigger and that’s why the shadows still haunt us. I was tempted to hit the stop button, but I’m glad I didn’t. The Shadow Effect left me with a message that I won’t soon forget. There is wisdom in every wound. There is an explanation behind every fear. There is a reason for every shadow. They help us to grow. They help us to be compassionate. They help us to forgive.

When Debbie looks back at her shadow, she says, “The part of me that I hated actually came bearing gifts. There is gold to be mined in every experience.”

I did make it through the entire film. And by the end, Debbie was right. The light did come through…a light so intense that I now believe it can make any of our shadows dance!

Our experiences will not always be sugar-coated and comfortable. But they get so much easier when we share them. That’s why there are authors like Debbie Ford. That’s why there are books and movies like The Shadow Effect. That’s why there are Websites like HealYourLife.com. That’s why there are companies like Hay House.

Wherever you are or wherever you have been, you have a place to go. You have a home, a refuge, a new neighborhood of friends where you can find comfort, take a needed break, learn new perspectives, share experiences, enjoy more laughter, take risks, and discover something new about yourself.

And we’ll even leave the door open…if your shadow decides to tag along.