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Subject: contraction (GOOD!) vs. constriction (BAD!)
Happy Monday from foggy rural Virginia!
I’m entering week four of my stint on the East Coast. While I miss my bed and living walking distance from good espresso, there are many things about rural life that really speak to me, like…
🐦⬛ Waking up to birdsong instead of blaring car horns
Being surrounded by trees instead of buildings
🏞️ Driving through rolling hills instead of traffic jams
And in a spark of synchronicity, it’s provided the perfect landscape for me to finally start the new series I’ve been dreaming about for months…
Let’s Go Outside is a video series for entrepreneurs who are tired of sourcing all their wisdom from Google searches and endless Instagram scrolling. Instead of looking to the internet for answers, we’re going outside to learn directly from nature.
After all, nature has been running sustainable, resilient systems for millions of years. I think it’s time we paid attention!
I’m sharing my first video down below, plus companion ritual and reflection questions you can use this week to ground your business and your spirit.
Without further ado, let’s go outside!
Warmly,
Maegan
Let’s Go Outside!
OFFLINE WISDOM FROM THE NATURAL WORLD
What if slowing down is exactly what your business needs right now?
In this debut episode of Let’s Go Outside, I’m taking you into the Winter woods to explore one of the most misunderstood dynamics in business ownership: the difference between contraction and constriction.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why a slow season in your business might be exactly what you need
- How to tell whether you’re in a healthy contraction or a fear-based state of constriction (← VERY IMPORTANT!)
- How to nurture the stirrings of new growth as you move into Spring
Ritual & Reflection
SPIRITUAL STRATEGIES TO GROUND YOUR WORK
📝 Reflection
- Is your business currently in a season of contraction or constriction, and how do you know the difference?
- What would it look like to fully trust a slower season instead of fighting it?
- How can you nurture the parts of your business that are in contraction?
- As spring approaches, where are you feeling the first stirrings of new growth, and what does that area need from you right now?
✨ Ritual
Find a tree, a patch of grass, or any outdoor space within reach. If going outside isn’t an option, sit with a houseplant! Set a timer for 9 minutes.
Spend the first 3 minutes just observing. Notice what’s dormant, what’s budding, what’s in full bloom. Let your eyes move slowly.
Spend the next 3 minutes sitting with one of the reflection questions above. Don’t force an answer. Just let it sit with you the way a seed sits in soil.
Spend the final 3 minutes noticing what came up. If you have a journal nearby, jot down one sentence before you head back inside.
