In this podcast episode Tara and Mare have a Conscious Conversation on the eve of the 2026 Chinese New Year, described as the year of the Fire Horse and a collective "one year' of new beginings. They discuss that a Fire Horse year is expected to be fast-paced, intense energy and it is “not for the faint of heart,” emphasizing how the first six weeks of 2026 the world already feels chaotic and how important connection and community are during bumpy times. On a personal level, they explore turning intention into action, including the idea of having many “living intentions” rather than one, and how speaking intentions aloud with others increases awareness and movement. Tara shares insights from reading “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest about self-sabotage, identifying patterns like busyness, overworking, spending too much money, perfectionism, and emotional cues such as guilt, anger, and resentment. A concrete example focuses on sabotaging a health journey by staying overly busy and repeatedly talking themselves out of daily health actions, highlighting that both staying the same and changing are uncomfortable, and framing progress as choosing the discomfort that leads to growth. They discuss practical, personalized strategies to reduce resistance and external noise (especially around health/wellness), such as using a crockpot, batch grilling, freezing leftovers, and preparing simple meals to support wellbeing within real constraints like time, budget, and access to groceries. They tie these ideas back to the fire horse theme—getting out of talk and into action individually and collectively—and frame the holiday as an opportunity to pause, express gratitude for the prior year, welcome the new year’s energy, and recommit to showing up as the version of oneself one wants to be. They invite listeners who lack clarity to start by writing a list of 50 things they want in life or explore offerings from Connection Project 360, and they close with Happy Chinese New Year and encouragement to “just start.” 1. What is a Conscious Conversation?: Learn more here:https://www.connectionproject360.com/2. Learn more about Reclaiming Our Humanity with Author Peter J.Hughes: https://peterjhughes.com/books/