New Moon Blessings, Sea Creatures, and Megan Rapinoe's Hair

With the South Texas heat and humidity in full swing, my husband and I, along with our little rescue pup Squeaks, have been making regular trips to the Gulf coast to enjoy the slightly milder temperatures (95 instead of 115 🥵), the fresh ocean breeze, and some quality time connecting with each other and nature.

He loves to fish. I enjoy the quietude of reading, writing and wandering the shore looking for interesting objects and critters. On recent visits, I've come across one that I've never seen before.

This little guy was about the size of my palm and he was among a handful I saw scattered on the shore as the tide made its decent from our beachy home base.

Later in the day, once we got back into cell phone reception (another perk of being at the shore...very few digital interruptions) I Googled "small blue jelly fish" and discovered that this Blue Button, as they're commonly referred to, is not a jellyfish at all, but a "marine organism consisting of a colony of hydroids."In other words:

Each and every one of those little tentacles you see is actually an individual creature. So freaking cool.

Even more interesting...

This colony of individual critters has banded together and each has specialized into three distinct functions: some are in charge of reproduction, some feeding, and some are there for defense. They all benefit from working together, but only because they have their own individual role to play.

I couldn't help but notice the parallels with something I recently heard championship soccer player Megan Rapinoe say when asked about her eye-catching blue hair:

"The more people are individually able to be their full selves, the more they will give to the team, the more they will provide for the team, and the better the team is, holistically, from an emotional standpoint, from a mental health standpoint, from a physical (standpoint)... like, everything."

She went on to describe in brilliant terms how, when each individual feels fully seen and fully supported, they are happier and more fulfilled as they contribute to a bigger, better, more powerful whole.

Again, I couldn't help but notice the parallels...

This time to our lives as women, as entrepreneurs, and as leaders.

In order for each of us to contribute to the world in the most powerful, impactful, meaningful and satisfying way, we must be fully self-expressed and be seen in the full complexity of our individuality.

And in order for that to happen, we can't keep doing things the same old way.

We must usher in a new way of being; a new way of doing business and life. Because, to a greater or lesser extent, the old way requires that we hide who we are, that we follow the rules, that we meet expectations, that we color within the lines.

Even if we fancy ourselves rebels, having bucked the system by starting our own business ventures, not following the conventional ways of life, I can't help but wonder...

Did we just swap one set of expectations for another?

Are we now trying to live up to some definition of entrepreneurial success that, too, was created by capitalistic, patriarchal, colonizing set of ideals?

Perhaps you've felt the struggle of trying to launch an innovative idea, project or business into the world, but trying to do it within the old paradigm—perhaps even with the intention of changing the old paradigm.

I know I have. I worked for years within a paradigm of transactionalism, of imbalanced giving/receiving, of the ends justifying any means. The whole time thinking that I could change things from the inside, that I could, from within the ranks, change the way things were done. Instead, the old way zapped my energy and left me for dead.

Here's the hard truth:

In order to change the paradigm, we have to change ourselves first.

And when we do, we no longer resonate with the old ways.

And we may be ignored or rejected by the powers that be. But they're not there for us anyways.

When we become the most authentically expressed version of ourselves, we alchemically require that the environments we show up in to change too.

And they will. They do. There is no other way.

So, what does it take to become the most authentically expressed version of ourselves?

We have to come back to the core. To where we began. To the things that ignited us before we were told otherwise.

And, like a pair of shoes that we've outgrown, we have to relinquish outworn identities that no longer serve us.

We have to ask ourselves:

How can I more fully embody my own power?

This is the theme of today's New Moon in Cancer. It's a tender time, so be gentle, create space to reflect, and consider how you can show up even more authentically, unapologetically, and powerfully, for your benefit and for the benefit of the whole, because when you show up in your power, you give permission for others to do the same.

Happy New Moon, lovelies. 💜

Here are some resources to support you on your journey:

Listen to the full interview with Megan Rapinoe on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast.

Get the full scoop from my two favorite astrologers Virginia Rosenberg and Chani Nicholas.

Take the Satisfaction Strategy Assessment and Find Greater Satisfaction in your Business and Life.