Happy Girl on the Rise Wednesday,

I hope your 2026 is off to a good start so far! It’s the last month of Snake energy before we move into the powerful Horse energy. I’m referring to the Chinese New Year animal signs, btw. So, if you still feel like you’re ‘shedding’ certain things in your life and you’re 2026 isn’t off to the start you hoped it would be, the next few weeks might offer you a pretty big shift. And part of that shift could be starting over, which is exactly what I want to talk about in today’s newsletter. And because I’ve been in the ‘starting over’ boat many times, I thought for this newsletter, I’d write you a little letter.

This week’s Girl on the Rise Newsletter is 879 words (3-minute read)

This week’s affirmation:

“I am not starting from nothing. I’m starting from experience.”

Dear You,

If you’re reading this while standing in the middle of a life that no longer looks or feels the way you thought it would, I want you to know something (well, a few things)…

First, I’ve been there too, and I know how much it hurts.

Second, you haven’t failed.

It just means something in you knows you can’t stay where you are anymore.

We don’t often talk about how quiet starting over can be. In most cases, it’s not dramatic, or bold, or celebrated. Instead, it’s lonely. Like really fucking lonely.

It’s sitting with grief you didn’t expect to have.

It’s releasing an identity, or a life, you worked so damn hard to build.

It’s taking tiny steps forward while carrying a lot of unanswered questions.

And 99% of the time, when you’re doing all of these really hard things, no one else fully understands why.

But you don’t have to justify yourself. Knowing in your heart and soul that where you are isn’t what fits you anymore is all you need.

If where you are right now feels lonely, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong, or worse, that you are wrong (don’t ever think that). It’s because life transitions ask us to walk unfamiliar ground, usually long before the world catches up to the courage it took to choose differently for ourselves.

You’re not here on accident.

You’re here because the version of life you were living no longer fits the version of you that is emerging.

And damn does it take a lot of courage to be where you are right now.

I want you to understand that starting over isn’t about erasing your past. We’re never really starting from a blank canvas.

It’s about integrating what you’ve lived, what you’ve learned, and what you can no longer ignore. (Read that again)

Girl….You carry wisdom now! 

Discernment. (If you don’t know what that means, read the last newsletter :))

You have a deeper knowing of what doesn’t feel right for you. Which means you have opened the door to what will bring you home to yourself.

Even if what you’re feeling doesn’t feel like strength yet, it is!

But right now, your only responsibility is honesty.

Honesty about what hurts.

Honesty about what you want.

And honesty about what you’re no longer willing to tolerate because doing so means continuing to abandon yourself.

Some days, starting over feels like relief. And other days, it feels like a whole hell of a lot of grief.

But both can be true at once.

You’re allowed to miss what you left and still know it wasn’t meant for you.

You’re allowed to be afraid and brave at the same time.

Girl, you’re allowed to move as slow as a fucking turtle and still be moving forward.

You’re on to something, so keep going.

Until next time, keep going and keep growing.

Oh! And if this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you! You can reply to this email with one sentence, or even just one word. I read it all!

Coach Tay

P.S. Let’s make 2026 the year of YOU! If you want support building a life that feels aligned, energized, and deeply YOU in 2026, my RiseStronger Coaching Program is open for new clients. Your next level is literally one decision away, and it could just be the best decision you ever make! Click on “the button” to book a free discovery call. Or, reply to this email and let’s talk. Taking the first step doesn’t have to be scary!

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