In the middle of winter, with the darkness of night longer than the light of day, our inner selves mirror the world outside and we are given to brooding over dark and sometimes negative thoughts. While most of us are not happy when dark clouds of negative thoughts and moods cross or even cover completely the skies of our awareness, and some become downright cross or even seriously depressed, with a shift in focus the darkness can often be experienced as the good teacher it is, because darkness is necessary in order for us to appreciate light.