Hello Reader. As Emily Dickinson wrote, "Dear March—Come in— How glad I am— I hoped for you before— Put down your Hat— You must have walked— How out of Breath you are— Dear March, how are you, and the Rest— Did you leave Nature well— Oh March, Come right upstairs with me— I have so much to tell—"
1. Taming the Whirlwind
I loved reading Dickinson when I was at undergrad at Umass Amherst. Did you know she never left her hometown of Amherst, , and had by all accounts, a very restricted and sad life? Her poetry and creativity came out of strife. It's something to remind ourselves.
Between the eclipse, crazy weather, and the Fire Horse year, a lot of people are feeling the same thing lately: intensity, fatigue, and a strange sense that life is asking for clearer priorities.
Part of that is energetic, whether you believe in it or not (I mean, Earth is a ball circling a fireball) Eclipses tend to stir things up internally and externally.
Part of it is biological: neuroscience shows our brains simply cannot sustain deep focus across endless competing priorities.
And part of it is practical wisdom that often arrives in midlife. We eventually realize we simply cannot do everything at once.
My latest blog is about how we can only do so much, and my concept of the triangle of clarity for helping you focus.
Remind me that if I'm going to spend 3 months visiting family in New England, to do so in the Fall or Spring...not Winter. All joking aside, it's been a challenging season for many of us, regardless of where we live. The first step to feeling more aligned--and ramping ourselves up with the energy of spring, is to acknowledge that we are in fact, wiped out! Fire Horse energy is a lot of explosive power, so it's important to ground the energy.
Step into nature: even a short walk, a few deep breaths among trees, or feeling sun and wind on your skin can help you anchor and reset.
Check in with intuition: journal, meditate, or simply pause and ask: “What does my inner guidance want me to notice right now?”
Honor your energy cycles: rest when you feel pulled low, act when energy rises. The Fire Horse year is about momentum paired with discernment.
Rest before productivity: even short naps or quiet moments help your nervous system reset.
Journaling or brain dump: jot down thoughts, ideas, or worries to clear space in your mind.
It was cold, but stunningly peaceful and beautiful
As we enter midlife, especially perimenopause and post-menopause, our bodies start really talking. If we weren’t listening to all the subtle signals for the years leading up to it, most of us have some sort of awakening–not positive–where our body forces us to listen. Our energy, sleep, metabolism, mood, and strength may start shifting. Cycles can reorganize your calendar without permission, weight and strength may fluctuate, and energy demands management rather than careless expenditure. In the past, these changes equated to society putting us out to pasture. We were told to step out of the limelight, do Yoga and rest. But we have a choice whether or not to believe we should just stop caring, and see ourselves as old, frail, and of no value. But we can be strong, beautiful, capable, AND have wisdom and experience. (Also, and this is for another blog post–we can eradicate or alleviate many of the symptoms we’ve been told are just normal parts of aging). It reminds me of the hilarious skit on Amy Schumer about “Last F*ckable Day,” worth a watch about how once women into our 40s or 50s we are no longer believed to be attractive in films and TV. What happens when you reclaim yourself, and no longer care about the comfort or approval of others?
Many of you asked how you can work with me; I am building something new but doing it with intention. In the meantime you can book a Strategic Clarity Session with me.
