2025 was supposed to be the happiest year of my life.
Instead, it became the most awakening year I could have imagined.
Not because joy was absent—but because clarity arrived.
In Chinese zodiac symbolism, 2025 is the Year of the Snake—a year of shedding, endings of cycles, awakening, and deep inner transformation. Snakes shed their skin not as loss, but as growth. As they grow, the old skin no longer fits, and shedding becomes necessary for survival.
This year asked many of us to do the same.
To look honestly at ourselves and understand our emotional triggers.
To release old patterns that no longer help us grow.
To do the inner work and heal the parts of us that still hold us back.
To sit with uncomfortable truths behind our decisions.
To clear the paths that prevent us from moving forward.
And perhaps the hardest lesson of all—to accept that behind each disappointment or heartbreak, it teaches us something about ourselves. Growth takes courage. It takes humility. It takes real vulnerability.
When Growth Is Refused, Cycles Continue
Mistakes don’t make people bad. We all stumble. We all react from old wounds at times. That’s human.
But refusing to grow keeps harmful cycles alive.
Without the willingness to reflect and evolve, lessons repeat. Tension deepens. Resentment builds. Relationships strain—not because of one mistake, but because nothing changes after boundaries are set.
Growth requires self-awareness, accountability, and the courage to say, “I can do better.”
Outgrowing Isn’t Blame—It’s Clarity
Outgrowing certain dynamics doesn’t require blame.
It requires clarity.
Sometimes growth means recognizing limitations—ours or others’. It means accepting that not everyone has the capacity to self-reflect or the courage to admit when their actions have caused harm.
Shame disguised as defensiveness.
Entitlement masked as righteousness.
Emotional immaturity hidden behind control or victimhood.
When growth becomes one-sided, distance becomes necessary.
Letting go—of people who remain unhealed from their own trauma, of blame placed on you for their actions, of apologies you never received, or of toxic relational patterns—can feel like loss. But often, it’s simply space being cleared for what’s next.
From Shedding to Motion
In just a few days, we step into 2026, the Year of the Horse—a year of movement, strength, resilience, and forward momentum.
Where the Snake teaches us to shed, the Horse asks us to move.
The Horse doesn’t drag the past behind it—it carries wisdom forward.
This moment—right now—is the bridge between the two.
2025 gave us the lessons.
2026 asks us to live them.
It’s no longer about understanding what hurt us or what didn’t work. It’s about choosing differently—communicating with maturity, valuing emotional growth, and walking away from stagnation without resentment.
Closing This Chapter With Intention
The Year of the Snake taught us to shed what no longer fits.
The Year of the Horse calls us to move with purpose.
This transition reminds us that growth is both reflection and action—knowing when to release, and knowing when to move forward.
As we enter 2026, may we carry clarity, resilience, and intention into everything we do.