I am a psychoanalyst, theologian, and pastor. It was only at midlife that I came to see that my early professional choice was shaped by the ‘spirit of the times’: a collective yearning after World War II for peace and mutual understanding in the world. As a result, my early career drew on religious values in response to this. Later, during my training as a psychoanalyst, I came to realise the importance of inner peace and the need to differentiate the various parts of oneself, both intellectual and emotional. Developing to one’s full potential, achieving inner balance, requires both. There is always so much more to know and understand about ourselves. Parts that have been in the shadow can come into the light. They are waiting for us to touch and embrace them.