According to the American Psychological Association, women are significantly more likely than men to report chronic stress, largely due to caregiving and the emotional labor of balancing family and work responsibilities. On a recent episode of Your Radical Truth podcast, host Margaret Mary O’Connor explored this reality with Tina Fletcher, speaker, author, and coach, who is leading a movement to help women stop living on autopilot and reclaim their personal power.
Listen on Apple Podcast CLICK HERE
Why Women Are Running on Empty
“Women are taught from a young age that selflessness is virtuous,” Fletcher explained during the interview. “But constantly putting others first leaves us drained, undervalued, and stuck in cycles of exhaustion.”
Fletcher shared her insights from years of working as a coach and strategist, as well as her own journey as a mother of five. She pointed out how women often don’t recognize how deeply ingrained these patterns are until burnout becomes unavoidable.
Rewriting the Narrative: Selfishness as Strength
One of Fletcher’s most compelling points was her argument for reclaiming the word “selfish.”
“Selfish has been weaponized against women,” Fletcher said. “But putting yourself first isn’t selfish—it’s the foundation for sustainable giving. If I’m drained, how can I genuinely support anyone else?”
O’Connor and Fletcher discussed how societal expectations have made women feel guilty for prioritizing their own needs, whether at work, in the home, or even in how they speak about themselves.
The Hidden Toll: The Weight of Yes
Fletcher’s book, The Weight of Yes, offers a metaphor for the quiet, accumulating burden of habitual agreement. “Each time we say ‘yes’ when we mean ‘no,’ it’s
like adding another invisible weight,” she said. “By the end of the day, we’re carrying a load we never agreed to.”
The book includes practical tools such as “Selfish Shift” cards and permission slips, designed to help women pause, assess, and choose responses that serve their well-being.
Small Shifts, Big Transformation
Fletcher emphasized that transformation begins with small, deliberate actions rather than dramatic overhauls. A simple pause and a mindful choice can create meaningful change, leading to a more empowered way of living. The conversation deeply resonated with O’Connor’s audience, weaving together personal stories and practical strategies. Both women highlighted that by breaking free from autopilot behaviors, women can model a new standard of strength and self-respect for future generations.
A Radical Invitation
Saying no with intention is a key step toward embracing personal truth and setting healthy boundaries. Lasting change happens when women learn to give from a place of energy and strength, rather than depletion—choosing self-prioritization as a necessary act of empowerment.
To learn more about Tina Fletcher’s work and her latest book, visit tinafletcher.com.
About Tina Fletcher
Tina Fletcher is a speaker, author, and coach dedicated to helping women break free from autopilot living and reclaim their personal power. Through her work,
Tina guides women to challenge the hidden expectations that keep them overextended and undervalued—empowering them to prioritize self-worth without guilt. By teaching practical strategies to set boundaries and shift mindsets, Tina shows women how to lead from a place of strength, energy, and confidence. Her mission is simple: to help women rediscover their voice, own their choices, and create lasting impact in their personal and professional lives.
About Margaret Mary O’Connor
Margaret Mary O’Connor, as a member of the Catholic Laity, thought she knew everything about the Catholic Church, at least until she came upon a centuries-old Scandal of lies and cover-up by the Hierarchy of that Church. Frankly, she was fed up being lied to by her own Church, about its own past Church’s History on Women priests. With that realization, she truly felt in that moment, the monumental feeling of betrayal by her own Church.
Follow Margaret, as she travels down this Highway of Radical Truth where lies and outright coverup will be disclosed. Millions of Catholics are unaware of that past presence of Women Bishop’s, Women Deacons, as well as Women Priests, all there hiding in plain sight, in Early Church History.
As the complicity of this centuries-old Scandal continues, Margaret wants her fellow Catholics to learn the actual truth of this matter for themselves. She strongly believes, at minimal, any Catholic deserves the actual truth of this matter. To say that change is needed is hardly an understatement. She doesn’t let the Church’s betrayal stop her from uncovering some very fascinating Church Skeleton’s – one which very well might help solve our current priest shortage issue today.
Margaret Mary O’Connor has been called, “The Modern Day David” on many occasions. On a mission to reveal carefully guarded secrets of the Catholic Church, she unveils the truth through her well-researched writings.
Author of Scandal in the Shadows and Journey of a Celiac’s Soul, Margaret Mary is a force to be reckoned with.
