I love a good analogy. I really do.
Which is slightly ironic, because the one that keeps showing up for me right now involves an animal I am genuinely afraid of.
Horses.
Yes. Horses.
My family likes to remind me that I lovingly refer to them as the sharks of the prairie. Beautiful? Sure. Majestic? Absolutely. Still not something I’m eager to cozy up next to without a healthy amount of distance and awareness.
And yet… here we are.
Because 2026 is the Year of the Horse, and despite my personal feelings about their size, speed, and unpredictable power, the symbolism feels impossible to ignore.
The horse represents strength, independence, courage, and forward motion.
Which feels fitting, because this is the year we stop trotting politely through life and start moving with intention.
No more circling.
No more hesitating.
No more asking for permission to want what we want.
Translation for real life?
No more settling.
No more waiting to be chosen.
No more carrying everyone else on our backs while quietly shelving our own dreams.
And maybe that’s why the horse works for me, even with the fear. Horses don’t play small. They don’t ask if it’s okay to take up space. They move forward because that’s what they’re built to do.
This is the year we reclaim our power and ride straight toward the life we’ve been tiptoeing around.
Also, let’s talk stamina. Horses know how to go the distance, but not by running themselves into the ground. They pace. They rest. They conserve energy. They choose when to move and when to stand still.
Which means this year is not about burnout trophies or martyr badges.
We are officially retiring those.
Instead, we’re choosing sustainable momentum.
Powerful movement.
Joyful progress.
We’re protecting our energy and spending it on what actually matters.
And maybe the real lesson for me, the woman who is afraid of horses, is this: courage doesn’t mean you’re fearless. It means you don’t let fear keep you frozen.
You don’t have to love the horse to learn from it.
You just have to stop standing on the sidelines watching life gallop by.
If the Year of the Horse has a message for us, it’s simple:
stop doubting yourself.
tighten your grip on the reins.
trust your strength.
and move forward with confidence.
Even if your knees are shaking a little.
Even if you’re not totally sure how it all works yet.
Even if you once called the thing you’re riding a shark.
Saddle up.
2026 is ours.
(Okay. Analogy rant officially over.)