New Level, New Devil: How to deal

New Level, New Devil: How to deal

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Once I was a job coach for adults with disabilities.

We focused on anything job-related from computer and reading skills to maneuvering bus routes.

I worked side-by-side with them in their job until they could do it independently.

We would shop for clothes if they needed them, give rides to work if transportation wasn’t available, and talk about their life, hopes, and dreams.

I loved it.

And it paid very little.

The next step up - which came with no extra money, but felt like “going somewhere” - with this non-profit was the job hunter for our clients.

When one of these positions came open, I was encouraged to apply and got the job.

Unhappiness soon followed.

So what happened?

This was a good thing, right? I was proving myself and moving up!

Isn’t growth good?

What I was too young to anticipate then was this:

New level, new devil.

Sure, I was on my way up the ladder (and hoped the pay scale).

But, the rewarding feelings I got from working one-on-one with my clients were replaced with cold calls, quotas, and a lot of rejection.

And this doesn't only happen with advancing in the workplace, does it?

This also holds true for each step in personal growth.

When you overcome obstacles, there isn’t a paved road on the other side.

There are new obstacles.

Every time.

I hadn't thought about that job in a long time, but it popped into my memory recently and it has a lesson for me.

Be prepared.

I have been pushing myself in the personal evolution department for a while now.

And I need to remember that there isn’t some challenge-free destination I’m driving toward where I’m given a certificate that says “You did it! Easy life achieved!”

There will be new obstacles waiting for me.

So how can I use this memory and this “new level, new devil” idea as a force for good in my life?

​In this newsletter I explain my thought process on this and what action steps I can take to prepare for “new devils”?

What are “new devils”?

In life there is never a “big boss” like in a video game, there is always a new level with new challenges.

​We overcome something, which is beneficial, only to meet fresh issues to deal with.

“If something is going to be better, it is new, and if it’s new you are confronting problems and challenges you don’t have references for.”

​— Jonathan Ive

And “new devils” can come from the outside or the inside.

But either way, we have to figure out how to integrate this new reality into our lives the best we can.

​There are infinite examples of “new levels, new devils,” but here are a few:

  • Start your own business, gain freedom, but now feel like you can never escape work
  • Buy your dream house, but now have incredible financial pressure to pay the mortgage
  • Build healthy boundaries in relationships, but lose people in the process
  • Move up to manager but now sense resentment from work friends
  • Make health a priority but are now scared to deviate and become too rigid with yourself, even on holidays

How are “new devils” helpful?

Wouldn’t life be easier if everything could stay the same and we were just given what we wanted?

Sure, but that isn’t reality.

The truth is that life is transformation.

Sometimes we instigate the changes, and sometimes the changes are made for us.

But change will come and we can fight this or we can flow with it.

And, the price of not changing is stagnancy. 

We may all fantasize about going back to our teenage years - the glory days - and stay there.

But what did we want more than anything when we were teenagers?

​To be adults.

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”

​-Franklin Roosevelt

I believe that we are here to grow and evolve and that we need to in order to feel fulfilled.

And if we’re reaching for these new levels, the new devils are unavoidable.

I realized that if they’re inevitable, why not anticipate them and give them thought ahead of time?

​Deliberately thinking about our “new devils” can be beneficial:

  • being prepared for what is coming rather than getting caught off guard
  • building resilience for a life of new obstacles
  • living an intentional life where you aren’t only reacting to what comes at you
  • getting better at integrating new challenges into life
  • making better decisions for ourselves - “Do I even want this “step up?” What new devils
  • come with it? Is that a good trade off or not?”

Why can this be hard?

Why have I avoided thinking about these "new devils" before and not factored this in to my inner-work?

Thinking about it isn’t pleasant.

I, for one, tend to avoid unpleasant things.

​Also:

  • it's more comforting to think overcoming something will make everything better
  • it is hard to be resilient for long periods of time
  • we don’t like to think about how good things can also be difficult
  • we're blinded by the good parts of change and can't see what challenges come along for the ride

“Takin’ on a challenge is a lot like ridin’ a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doin’ it, you’re probably doin’ it wrong.”

​-Ted Lasso

How to see your “new devils” on the horizon

New and different challenges are going to keep popping up - like, my own, personal whack-a-mole game.

So how do I get out ahead of this?

How do I start to anticipate my “new devils” ahead of time so that I can have more time to process what’s coming?

​You know where I’m going with this first, and that is astrology.

Astrology of "new devils"

For the questions of “what is coming,” I’m going to look at my transiting planets (currently moving planets) rather than my natal ones.

Jupiter and Saturn and two great planets to start with.

You can find where transiting Jupiter and Saturn are in your chart for free by going to astro.com.

​After you pull up your natal chart, click the button that says “Add Transits.”

The planets in green along the outside of the chart show the current position of the planets.

​This person has Jupiter currently in their 2nd house and Saturn in their 12th.

I chose to focus on Jupiter and Saturn here because they move slow enough that you feel their impact.

​They are also fast enough that they eventually move on and don't represent lifelong challenges.

Transiting Jupiter

  • This planet stays in each house for around a year.
  • It represents where the good fortune sits in your chart and life.
  • Think of Jupiter’s position as where blessings will rain down on you this year.
  • Ask yourself, what good things could come from Jupiter visiting this house? And with that, what new challenges could arise?
  • In what ways could you strengthen yourself for the “new devils” that come with Jupiter’s good fortune?

Transiting Saturn

  • This planet stays in each house for around 2.5 years.
  • It represents where the challenge is in your chart and life at that time.
  • What parts of life are going to take a little more work and effort? What might feel hard?
  • But, these can be overcome and lead to incredible growth.
  • Ask yourself, once you overcome Saturn’s challenges, what new obstacles could grow from them?
  • How can you ready yourself for Saturn’s “new devils”?

Of course, astrology isn’t everything.

It is one way to do inner-work, but I wanted to push further.

​Another way to do this is through monthly check-ins with myself.

Monthly "check-Ins"

This could look like journaling every few weeks or sitting with a cup of tea and alone time and just thinking.

  • What has changed for me for the better? 
  • How have I grown this month?
  • What feels different now than it did last month?
  • What new obstacles could come with this? 
  • What struggles could come with my new circumstances or mindset?

For me, Jupiter is currently transiting my 11th House of friends, groups, future visions, and pushing me to expand in these areas (very much holding true for me right now).

There is a lot of fantastic potential there, but it also comes with heightened feelings of insecurity and the need to make myself more vulnerable - two of my "newest devils," I suppose.

Considering the “new devils” in advance can help us to live a more intentional life and be more ready for what is coming.

They're less intimidating when they don’t surprise us.

What is one thing you can do to galvanize yourself to your "new devils"?

​Have a fantastic day and much love,

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Hi, I'm Peggy

I went from lost and desperate to feeling more joy and a sense of purpose. And all it took was a little ancient wisdom! Now my mission is to accompany you on your self-discovery path so you can unlock more happiness and self-love as well!

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