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