The difference between surface progress and soulful growth

Deepening: A Libra New Moon Reflection

Happy Libra New Moon, I hope you're finding more harmony within!

For quite a while, I've been playing with an interesting concept - We often think of Forward in a linear sense, moving ahead, making progress, seeing measurable difference based on getting from point A to point B.

I'd like to propose an alternative: Forward = Deeper.

There are so many people seeking progress in a surface way, through constructs and lenses that lack depth and meaning.

We can measure movement through relief, but we know that relief is not lasting.
We can measure progress through societal cues that slip and slide with the times.
We can pretend that we are moving in meaningful ways, when in reality, there is no ground beneath us. We're sliding through sand, or on the hamster wheel, running only in place.

On the other hand, we can measure progress in depth.
On the surface, deepening may not look as impressive. We can’t always see what’s happening in the depths of a person, their psyche, or their circumstances.
But what I know is this: when we improve in the depths, there is greater health in the harvest.

I watered a peace lily yesterday and noticed some mold on the surface, and rot at the roots. I thought I’d been watering it well (obviously a little too well!). The damage wasn’t yet showing in the leaves, but it would at some point.

It’s under the skin, in the tissues and bones, that progress and evolution really happen.
We can all talk a good talk, but fail to follow through.
The message has to sink in, to be embodied and understood, for real change to take hold.

So what does this look like in real life? Here are a few ways deepening might look or feel:

Instead of talking more, explaining more, pushing or proving — you breathe more deeply and dedicate your energy to the acts.
You stop talking about inner peace, and you choose boundaries that provide it.
You stop telling others everything you’re doing, and you simply witness the bloom and harvest of the results. (Often, for the over-sharers, deepening involves more quiet, and more action.)

As we move through Libra Season, there’s a lot of emphasis on Balance.
I’ll encourage you to throw it out.
Choose Harmony instead.

Those who work so hard for balance are swinging back and forth, always correcting, always adjusting. It’s too often happening on the surface.
For those seeking harmony, you stop reacting and start responding, to the energy within and around you.
You identify what’s off-key or out of rhythm, and you choose differently.

There’s a clear consciousness that will guide you, and it lives deep within.
Anything that harmonizes with you will come from a place of higher love, greater care, and grace.

Your last call to deepen begins with an honest look at just how scattered you are - in mind, focus, heart, task.

When we search the surface, it can feel like there’s an overwhelming array of things to do.
When you move more deeply into heart and soul, the distractions and obstacles begin to disappear.
You’re better able to prioritize, because there’s less to prioritize.
You stop trying to organize the clutter and begin to remove it.
You pull yourself out of cycles of “watering dead plants,” and instead, you water only those that are living, growing, worthy.

I know that the idea of Deepening may seem a little vague.
But the process itself will remove the vagueness from your vision and your focus.
It’s worth finding a moment, especially when overwhelmed by surface noise, to allow yourself to sink into something of more substance and importance.

A few things to meditate on over the coming days:

• Which project, focus, or area of my life feels overwhelming? Which details are less important or meaningful, and how can I set them aside?

• Instead of trying to race ahead, how could I make my steps stronger?

• Which “surface standards” are not meaningful enough for my time or energy? What deeper inspiration would be more meaningful to follow?

• If I could find harmony in my life, what would it look like, feel like, sound like? What is the first, deepening step that will take me toward it?

Deepening is a journey that requires patience, courage, and a willingness to change course and ways.
But, like so many other things in life, you can embrace it as you witness all that evolves as you develop and grow.

Sending you New Moon blessings, and inspiration to move deeper, into heart and soul.

- Jennifer <3

P.S. If you’re feeling the call to be more visible and authentic as your truest self, you’re invited to join us tomorrow evening for our Seen + Sovereign online event.