How Are You Extending Grace...to Yourself + Others?
Working With This Retrograde Season
I have a pet peeve. It's walking into a stor AUGUST and seeing decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
We are STILL in summer. WTF is the rush?
I know some people love spooky season but like you could easily get those witchy candles any time of the year. Nothing is stopping you from drinking pumpkin spice lattes in July. Get the flavor syrup and go for it!
Marketing is built on the concept of scarcity and just because it works, that doesn't mean you have to weaponize FOMO as well...unless you want to.
Retrograde season is an opportunity to align with seasons. You don't need to rush a process just because everyone else is doing it. Breaking free from overwhelm starts with disconnecting from all the ways we are invested in an unsustainable workflow.
This week we enter the sign of routine and wellness, criticism and radical honesty, and an unwavering sacrifice for excellence.
Virgo is ruled by Gemini and Gemini is going to reflect on how its message to the world is consistent with the expression of authenticity and integrity.
Is our weather wonky or are we hiding from the truth of climate change?
Is your audience non-existent or are you hiding from the truth of how you are too generic?
Is the market shifting or are you hiding from the truth that it's time to quit and do something else?
There are times where two opposing truths can exist at the same time and then there are times where you have to make a decision about which is the one you will make informed decisions form.
Since we're going into Virgo season, let's have a heart-to-heart about the ways we judge ourselves and those who don't conform to the unrealistic standards you may have for your definition of success.
Grace is a word I've been obsessed with since 2020. In religion, it often gets used as a moment to express gratitude. In business, it's often used to forgive a hardship.
For the sake of this conversation, let's talk about grace through the lens of compassion.
Because extending grace means offering kindness without expectations or reciprocity.
For the most part, we don't want to be assholes. We like to consider ourselves as good natured and with some level of empathy.
And yet, so much of the language we use to "motivate" and "inspire" are rooted in shame and exploitation. There's little room for grace when it we talk about success. We say to be forgiving and resilient but don't back it up with how we engage others.
In what ways are you part of the problem and not the solution?
Who would you be if you removed the following words from your lexicon:
discipline, effective, work ethic, productivity, priority, lazy
I identify as a recovering Type A and in so many ways, I don't even recognize the person who used to strive for an unrealistic vision of perfection.
I still work my ass off because that's my reality. Integrating rest and leisure has been a challenge because of how much unraveling I've had to do about why I valued sacrifice over well-being.
As we enter the season of the sign known for condescending remarks - consider reflecting on how you may be contributing to the negative storytelling you do for yourself and to others.
Mercury stationing retrograde in it's hometown of Virgo might be your "come to Jesus" moment where you realize the thoughts you have are not conducive to a healthy state of mind.
As someone who was often called lazy and unmotivated despite having an unrelenting work ethic, to learning that all that time I had undiagnosed ADHD and OCD - my come to Jesus moment was realizing how so much of what we prioritize re: people's worth is rarely aligned with their actual capacity.
Potential can be a blessing or curse, depending on how you look at it.
Potential can be infinite possibility to embody your magic or it can be used as a weapon to stifle your uniqueness when it's only regarded as a commodity for someone else.
This week, use the retrograde + astro season change to give yourself the foundations of a breakthrough so that you are empowering your growth potential and positioning your presence to be indispensable.
Especially when that means giving yourself the grace you deserve to thrive at your own pace and on your own terms.
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If you would like to discuss how to better understand the ways you can leverage this retrograde season, click here to schedule an intuitive brand reading.
Side note: I'm getting into photography again so if you are in the NYC/NJ area and want to get some candid shots done, let me know! I'll be experimenting with street photography and lifestyle photography over the next few weeks. 😬 📸
Have a great week! Happy Virgo season to those who celebrate.