Introduction Whereas Back to the Beginning? was the question I painfully asked myself, Shadow dancing explores the next steps in a journey where real life goes on and you have to start dealing with what has happened on as deep a level as possible. That's if you want to. And I want to. The journey is continuous and as I write I do so quickly for this next year, The one that has just started (2012) is moving very fast and I don't want to forget my shadow. Getting to acknowledge her has been extraordinary, though it is still very scary. She is part of me. And she is a very real part of me. It's been an interesting second year on the road to what I can only describe as getting better. And I am feeling better inside. And my life on the outside is better too. Different but better. Unexpected changes, but better. So the intention of this sequel is to continue on what I believe continues to be a road to recovery aiming not just to be able to survive, but to thrive. If you had a choice why would anyone just want to survive? Year two has not been full of joy and though there have been some amazing moments which I will attempt to share, it has really been about facing that darker side. I conclude that you will go round and round in deeper and more and more prison-like circles if you are not prepared to embrace all that you are. So I hope this sequel helps you as it has helped me to be braver than I've ever been before. Who knows how this will translate. It's already year 3 as I write quickly so I have to keep going. But I do so with much more trust. Because I found that ultimately you can blame the external world for hurting you but what happens when you boil things down to their essence is that I (and you) lose trust in yourself and that is because I (and you) have forgotten who we are. The journey back to that essence is what shadow dancing is about.
