Pushing Past Your Comfort Zone

Pushing past your comfort zone isn't a linear journey.

It's an organic dance that involves listening to your inner wisdom, cultivating discernment and taking the necessary actions along the way. The Emperor and Star cards in the tarot give some guidance on how to find the right balance as you grow and create.

The Emperor is all about laying foundations. He is an action-taker, a protector, a planner, and obstacle remover. When The Emperor comes up, you are being asked to establish a vision and break it down into action steps. You need order, organization and good boundaries for your creations to grow.

The Star is a card of hope, healing, success, and authentic expression. It’s tender and magical - a bringer of blessings. It’s a card of spirit. It asks you to look within and investigate your true heart’s desires. It calls you to see your light. The Star acknowledges that the desires you feel most deeply are also the most vulnerable. They bring up both hope and fear. You may long for something and be terrified to try because the thought of failing is too awful.

Both of these energies are needed for success. The Star card speaks to your inner game and The Emperor speaks to your outer game. Usually these work simultaneously. Progress unfolds in leap-frog fashion pushing you past your comfort zone.

For example, you may have a great idea for a business and be the kind of person who likes to dive right in and figure things out as you go. You take that glimmer of star light (your inspiration), and get into action. This is your outer game. As you progress, however, you may run into situations that require you to work on your inner game. You avoid doing certain tasks, communication isn’t great, and your business gets stalled because the same problems crop up again and again. You may be afraid to ask for help or have difficulty trusting other people. These are inner issues, and they need to be resolved if you want to move forward. Your outer actions will lead you to the places where your inner growth is necessary.

If you are the kind of person who has been tending to your inner life diligently, your most potent work will involve getting into action. You have been connecting with your intuition, clearing wounds, and learning to love yourself in a quiet, internal way. You’ve harnessed your emperor energy to cultivate your inner world. Maybe you have created something very beautiful as a result, but this gorgeous inner life is now pushing against your edges and wanting to expand more. It’s time to share what you do with other people, and even though this may be scary, it’s time to get your outer game in order so you can let your light be seen in a bigger way.

These aren’t static scenarios. We all go through periods where our focus is on one game or the other, but they are both important. The Star will ultimately push you into the world in some way. You may need to see your own beauty first in order to have the courage to step out.

The Emperor will ask you to act first and learn by doing, but every step is leading you to discover something wonderful about yourself. This energy will lead you to your beauty, your talents, and your self-esteem as you go about building and creating. He wants you to make a plan and not skip any steps. There are valuable experiences and gifts to be gained in every action he asks you to take.

Both of these cards ask you to push past your comfort zone. Take a look at where the imbalances are showing up in your life, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of which card is speaking to you most today. Do you need The Emperor to help you step out, take care of some business and make a plan? Or do you need The Star to bring you back to hope and possibility?

Most often, we need a little bit of both. We need to trust that our deepest dreams have come from within. Those desires are the seeds of your potential. They are clues to your authentic purpose, and a promise that you have what it takes to manifest it. You wouldn’t have the vision if you didn’t already possess the gifts needed to achieve it. The Star promises that the gold is there, and The Emperor hands you a shovel and helps you find it. Embrace them both and happy digging! xo