Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” – Christian Lous Lange
What if, instead of hijacking our attention, technology became a bridge back to ourselves? What if our devices, which often serve as a source of noise and distraction from the self, could instead offer stillness, depth, and inner clarity?
This was the question at the heart of my recent conversation with Dr. Connie, where we explored the Zenfulnote App: the personal growth app I created to help people slow down, reflect, and meet themselves with compassion.
Today, I want to invite you into that conversation and into the world of Zenfulnote.
Born from Both Science and Soul
Many of the practices inside the app came directly from the collaboration between Dr. Connie’s decades of expertise in depth psychology and my own work as the author of The Shadow Work Journal. Together, we dreamed up the Shadow Characters Assessment and character breakdowns, which are tools that help you personify and explore the hidden aspects of yourself with curiosity instead of criticism.
In the app, you can find a charcuterie board-like array of tools and techniques, and decide what works best for you:
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Journal or voice record your thoughts with shadow work prompts expanded from The Shadow Work Journal.
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Check in with your emotions and receive personalized meditations, exercises, or journal prompts designed to meet you exactly where you are.
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Set a Zenlarm to wake up with inspiring affirmations or a meditation.
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Browse a feed of endless affirmations on themes ranging from self-love to resilience and confidence.
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Read articles from experts in psychology on shadow work, healing, and self-discovery.
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Explore meditations by Dr. Connie and other inspiring creators who bring both science and soul into their work.
Zenfulnote is a living library of practices designed to help you uncover your inner world.
Shadow Characters: Meeting the Hidden Parts of Ourselves
One of my favorite parts of the conversation with Dr. Connie was when we talked about Shadow Characters.
These are the inner parts of us, such as the Perfectionist, the Rebel, and the Escapist Artist, that sometimes take the wheel when life feels overwhelming. Inside Zenfulnote, you can track when these characters appear, learn their triggers, their protective masks, and, most importantly, their hidden gifts.
As Dr. Connie reminded me:
“Part of shadow work is to break your identification with those characters and come back to your true nature.”
Seeing these aspects as characters instead of flaws creates space for warmth, compassion, and healing. It turns inner work into a creative dialogue rather than a self-critique.
A Digital Home for Glimmers, Growth, and Gentle Awareness
During our talk, Dr. Connie asked me which feature I personally use the most. Without hesitation, I shared:
“The emotional check-ins. Especially tracking glimmers.”
Glimmers are those fleeting moments of joy, beauty, or inspiration we often overlook. Like butterflies, they’re easy to miss unless we intentionally catch them. Zenfulnote helps you gather them, reflect on them, and slowly rewire your brain toward gratitude and presence. I tracked a glimmer in our zoom interview so you can see an example of how it’s done!
Over time, users have told us these simple practices have become second nature. What begins inside the app slowly moves off the screen and into daily life, relationships, and moments of choice. That is the goal here.
An Invitation to Begin
If you’re curious, consider this your invitation.
Zenfulnote was designed to be as multi-dimensional as you are. A space for reflection, healing, learning, and growth. A place where technology finally slows down enough to meet you in the quiet.
You can download the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and explore the features. Access a free month with the link and code below.
Apple Free Month LINK HERE
Android code (paste in onboarding): Substack1Month
With Love,
Keila Shaheen & Dr. Connie Zweig
🖤 Thanks for reading Shadow Work to Expand Awareness: a space where inner work meets the outer world through shared prompts, writings, and livestream conversations with Dr. Connie Zweig, Ph.D and Keila Shaheen.
Support our work:
– Get the Zenfulnote App to make inner-work part of your daily life
– Keila’s books: The Shadow Work Journal · The Lucky Girl Journal · The 369 Journal · The Book of Shadow Work
– Dr. Connie’s books: Meeting the Shadow · Romancing the Shadow · Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path · The Inner Work of Age
– Keila’s website: www.keilashaheen.com
Join the Conversation!
Join our Substack community chat for ongoing discussions, Q&As, and shared insights. + find and save a special image of the prompts above so you can save it and share it with others!