Every new year arrives carrying expectations. Be clearer. Be faster. Be different. But this year doesn’t begin with a sprint.It begins with a pause. As we move out of the Year of the Snake and toward the rare, bold energy of the Year of the Fire Horse, many people feel an internal contradiction. A desire to move forward paired with deep fatigue, tenderness, or hesitation. This isn’t resistance. It’s wisdom.

If you are an empathic, neurodivergent woman over 40, you might feel like your carefully organized life is unraveling. The exhaustion feels overwhelming. Brain fog clouds your thoughts. Your focus slips away, and you find yourself absorbing the stress of others, leaving you drained. You suspect perimenopause is at play, but your ADHD symptoms, once manageable, now seem amplified. You are not broken, and you are not imagining this.

Empowering Women: Celebrating International Women's Day and the Power of Renewal