FACE THE DARKNESS, FIND THE GOLD | Shadow Work for Men | Episode 22
"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." — Joseph Campbell
Your shadow isn’t your enemy. It’s the unintegrated self — the parts you’ve hidden, the emotions you were taught are unacceptable, the shame you carry in silence. In this episode, we explore what shadow work really is, why it matters, and how facing the darkness becomes the doorway to gold.
What shadow work actually is (deeply human, not New Age)
The cost of performing a false self — the Don Draper effect
My journey with shame: from resisting it to integrating it
The DAWN Method: Detect, Accept, Wonder, Nurture
How grief becomes a pathway to love
A guided journaling practice to begin shadow integration today
→ You can't rebuke emotions God wired into your system
→ Shame is longing to belong, turned inward
→ Exiled parts don’t disappear — they drive from the back seat
→ “Grief turned inside out is love finding its way home”
→ Shadow work = integration, not elimination
→ Pain is real, but there’s always a path through it
D – DETECT: Notice without judgment
A – ACCEPT: Welcome what’s here
W – WONDER: Ask what this emotion is protecting
N – NURTURE: Offer what you truly need
David Whyte (“Sweet Darkness”), Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Mad Men, Inside Out, Dr. Chip Dodd, Dr. Curt Thompson, Brennan Manning, Internal Family Systems (IFS)
If this episode stirred something deep, the Open Heart Journey is a 12-week men’s coaching intensive beginning January 2026.
Where shame is metabolized, pain is processed, and shadows are integrated.
Learn more & apply: jasontwombly.com/join-the-journey
What emotion have I been taught is unacceptable?
What has it cost me to keep this shadow hidden?
What treasure might be buried in this darkness?
If this shadow isn’t my enemy, what could its role be?
Podcast: The Heartsmith Podcast
Substack: Weekly insights & practices
YouTube: Full episodes & reflections
Coaching: jasontwombly.com
“The Courage to Be Known” — Why vulnerability is strength and how to let yourself be seen.
If this met you in your shadow, share it with a man who needs permission to face his own. We don’t do this work alone.
“Your shadow isn’t your enemy. It’s your unintegrated self.”
“Shame is longing to belong, turned inward.”
“You cannot rebuke an emotion God designed.”
“Grief turned inside out is love coming home.”
“One becomes enlightened not by imagining light, but by making the darkness conscious.” — Jung
“To live by grace is to acknowledge the whole story — light and dark.” — Brennan Manning
Where men forge courage, train for emotional mastery, and live from a clear mind and a wild heart. Hosted by Jason Twombly — coach, pastor, and guide for men ready to do deep work.
Shape the heart. Forge the man.
