Every year carries a certain energy.

This one?
It’s being called the Year of the Fire Horse — a year known for unstoppable momentum, bold growth, and forward movement.

And honestly?
That word unstoppable feels accurate.

Not frantic.
Not chaotic.
But powerful.

Like something is building.

When I think about a Fire Horse, I don’t picture something wild and reckless.

I think about the horse we have here — loyal, calm, and strong.

There’s power there.
But it’s controlled.
Intentional.
Grounded.

That’s the kind of unstoppable I’m drawn to.

Growth doesn’t have to mean losing yourself in the speed of it.
Fire doesn’t have to mean burning out.

It can mean steady strength.
Purposeful movement.
Energy directed in the right places.

We had days in the 50s recently — the kind that make you think spring is right around the corner. And then today? Freezing rain. Snow. Temperatures back in the 30s.

The swings are real.

And if there’s anything that feels fiery right now, it’s that — the constant shift. The unpredictability. The way one day feels hopeful and the next feels heavy.

But that’s growth too.

Not every season of momentum looks like visible progress.

Sometimes it looks like preparation.
Sometimes it looks like waiting.
Sometimes it looks like being stretched.

And I definitely feel stretched right now.

A year marked by fire can feel energizing.

More opportunity.
More ideas.
More movement.

But here’s the bold part:

Just because the year carries momentum doesn’t mean you have to run yourself into the ground to match it.

Unstoppable does not mean unavailable to yourself.
Unstoppable does not mean saying yes to everything.
Unstoppable does not mean abandoning quiet.

For me, tending my own fire carefully this year looks like:

• Protecting quiet mornings

• Saying no more often

• Doing things that bring me joy and fill my cup

• Staying true to who I am — even if the world moves faster

Because if you’ve ever tried to outrun a season, you already know how that ends.

Don’t we all?

If I could offer one reminder for this Fire Horse year, it would be this:

Stay true to who you are.

Momentum is powerful.
Growth is good.
Stretching is necessary.

But your identity doesn’t need to change every time the pace does.

Be strong.
Be steady.
Be grounded.

Like a calm horse standing in winter — breath visible in the cold air — knowing spring will come in its time.

The fire can fuel you.

Just don’t let it consume you.