We've All Been Played.

Now What?

This is the face of every woman who realized the system was never going to protect us.

There’s a heaviness in the air right now, and I’m not going to pretend it’s just “uncertainty” or “the times we’re in.”

It’s the Epstein files. It’s watching the ranks close. It’s realizing—again—that no one is coming to save us. Not the courts. Not the leaders. Not the system that was supposed to protect women in the first place.

We’ve all been played for fools. And there will be no returning to the way things were.

I know this because I’ve sat with it. Not in some abstract, “let’s process our feelings” way—but in the actual, uncomfortable work of sitting at the edge of my bed and asking: Why does this feel so heavy?

And here’s what I found: The news isn’t triggering my own trauma. It’s triggering a deep, cellular sadness for women collectively. For how many of us have been touched by abuse. For how the system protects power over people, image over integrity, reputation over safety.

For how nothing is going to change.

So I wrote about it. I posted it. And something unexpected happened.

Women responded. Not with “thank you for sharing” platitudes, but with raw recognition. Me too. I feel this too. What do we do now?

And I realized: We build.

Not because the system will ever protect us. But because we can protect each other.

So I hosted a Zoom gathering. Just women. Just conversation. Just showing up and being seen.

And it worked. Not in some grand, transformative way—but in the quiet, sustaining way that reminds you: I’m not alone in this. We’re not alone in this.

Here’s What I Learned When I Lost Everything

The first time I lost everything—financially, emotionally, spiritually—no one told me the most practical thing I needed to hear:

Open a savings account.

I know. It sounds absurdly simple. But I didn’t do it. I just found ways to earn and burn through what I earned. Because I didn’t think I deserved to save. I didn’t think stability was for people like me.

And so I stayed in survival mode for years longer than I needed to.

Here’s what I know now: You don’t rebuild by waiting for the world to get safer. You rebuild by making yourself safer in the world.

For me, that meant:

• Opening that damn savings account

• Building a Substack that actually pays me

• Selling my art

• Creating a community of women who support me—financially, yes, but also emotionally and spiritually

I now have money tucked aside in case something prevents me from continuing this work. Not because I’m rich. But because I finally decided I was worth protecting.

And I have a band of subscribers who show up for me every day. Who invest in this work. Who remind me that I’m not shouting into the void.

For that, I am deeply grateful.

This Is About Your Dreams Too

You might be wondering: What does this have to do with reclaiming my dreams? With stepping out of the life that no longer fits?

Everything.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: You cannot reclaim your dreams while you’re waiting for the world to be safe enough, fair enough, or just enough to deserve them.

You’ll wait forever.

The system that protects predators is the same system that told you to:

• Put your dreams on hold until the kids are grown

• Stay small so you don’t threaten anyone

• Be grateful for what you have instead of reaching for what you want

• Play by the rules and maybe, someday, you’ll get your turn

But your turn isn’t coming. Not from them.

So stop asking permission. Stop waiting for conditions to improve. Stop letting a broken system dictate when you’re allowed to want more.

Reclaiming your dreams is an act of refusal.

It’s refusing to let the chaos out there stop you from building in here. It’s refusing to shrink because the world feels unstable. It’s refusing to wait for justice before you start living justly—toward yourself.

I didn’t wait for financial security to fall into my lap. I built it. Painting by painting. Essay by essay. Subscriber by subscriber.

I didn’t wait for someone to tell me I was allowed to have dreams at 70. I just started painting them into existence.

And you don’t have to wait either.

Not for the world to calm down. Not for the system to fix itself. Not for someone to give you permission.

Your dreams are not a reward for surviving. They’re how you survive.

What We Do Now

So what do we do when the system shows its hand? When we realize no one is coming to prosecute the men in those files? When we understand that the leaders are closing ranks instead of opening cases?

We stop waiting.

We stop waiting for justice. We stop waiting for someone else to build the world we deserve. We stop waiting for permission to take care of each other.

We build community. We show up on Zoom calls and WhatsApp groups and in each other’s inboxes. We say the quiet part out loud: This is not okay. And we’re not going to pretend it is.

We support each other. We love each other. We protect each other.

Because if the institutions won’t do it, we will.

This isn’t inspirational. This is survival.

And survival, done together, looks a lot like love.

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If you want to be part of this community—if you want a place where women show up for each other without pretense or performance— message me. Let me know you’re here.

We’re not waiting anymore.

Your dreams are not a reward for surviving. They’re how you survive.

And if you need help remembering what those dreams even are—if they’ve been tucked away so long you can’t quite see them anymore—I’ve created something for you.

Re-Claiming Dreams Roadmap

A simple guide to help you remember what you were made for ✨

This isn’t a formula. It’s a lived truth. A soul-stirring PDF that walks you through 10 powerful, personal steps to reconnect with the dream you’ve tucked away.

Whether your dream is to write, paint, travel, speak, or simply feel more alive again—this roadmap will gently lead you back to the starting point: yourself.

$6.99 - Click here to get your roadmap

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Join the Community That’s Done Waiting

If this essay resonated—if you’re tired of waiting for permission, for justice, for your turn—then you’re ready for what happens inside The Daily RE-WIRE.

This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a daily practice of reclaiming what you’ve been told to set aside. It’s a community of women who’ve decided they’re worth protecting, worth investing in, worth showing up for.

When you become an annual paid subscriber, you’re not just supporting my work. You’re making a commitment to yourself:

This year, I stop waiting.
This year, I build.
This year, I reclaim.

Join today with 20% off your annual subscription (offer ends February 7th) and receive:

🎁 Return to Coherence guide (FREE) - A 10-page resource with the daily practices I use to align my head, heart, and gut so my whispers can be heard
💗 A more personal connection with me as you walk this path
✨ Significant discounts on future workshops and offerings
📬 Weekly essays that tell the truth without apology or performance

But the real value? It’s the decision itself.

It’s you saying: I’m done managing. I’m done performing. I’m ready to be myself.

This 20% discount ends February 7th. After that, it’s gone.