Clearing the Path Ahead
From Snake to Horse
Today is the last day in the year of the wood snake. To be completely honest with you, I never paid much attention to the symbolism that each year holds. I’m half Taiwanese and while my family and I do celebrate Chinese/Lunar New Year, it’s really just an excuse for us to get together and eat good food. But now the symbolism that Chinese/Lunar New Year holds is all over my FYP on TikTok and naturally, it impacts me.
The year of the wood snake was a year for wisdom, intelligence, transformation and is considered a time for introspection, growth and letting go of old habits. The thought of being of writer has ruminated in my mind since I was a little girl. I vividly remember being on my mom’s laptop, opening Word and attempting to write a book. I would only get maybe a chapter or two in before deleting it because I was embarrassed. I thought I’d be a songwriter at one point, I even had a whole binder filled with original lyrics but once again the self-doubt and embarrassment creeped in. What was I embarrassed of? Failure of course but that wasn’t the main thing holding me back. What was holding me back was the perception of others, fear of judgement, ridicule and me—I was holding myself back.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this was the year I started to believe in myself in a way I never have before. I created this SubStack on January 31st, 2025 and while I didn’t post consistently, it was a start. Something pushed me to take that first step. I started writing a book—I started writing a bunch of books because plot ideas just kept coming. Of course there were lulls, periods of time where I didn’t write and my focus was elsewhere but no matter what happened the urge to write always presented itself to me. Then on a random day in December, I posted my first TikTok video of me just talking to the camera, something I was terrified to do in the past.
It’s interesting—that day I didn’t overthink it. I wrote a short script, pressed record and posted it without a second thought and I’m so glad I did because it unleashed something in me. Through trial and error I realized what I want to do, the type of writer I want to be.
Without realizing, I was slowly shedding parts of myself that no longer served me so I could welcome in the new. I’ve never had a hard time visualizing my future when it comes to my dream home and creating a family, it’s always been clear to me. Where I struggled was visualizing my career and what exactly I wanted to do—that’s no longer hazy to me. The year of the wood snake revealed the truth and cleared a path for my growth. Starting tomorrow, it’s time to follow that path clearly and wholeheartedly.
The year of the fire horse marks a period for bold action and rapid change. It’s said to be intense which makes sense because rebuilding your life is intense—requiring hard work, emotional tolls, boundaries, change. I’ve never been good with change whether good or bad, I’ve always struggled to adjust. But as we’re on the cusp of this new year, I feel that fire rising in me and it feels…right.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to do? Why haven’t you done it? Think about it for a moment, is there something that always pops into your mind day after day, week after week, year after year? Like losing weight, traveling, switching careers, painting the house, reaching out to an old friend, learning a new skill, reinventing yourself, the list goes on. If you feel that fire, that high-speed momentum—lean into it. See what comes of it, see what you can do when you use your energy differently. I don’t want to hold back this year. I don’t want to waste this transformative year.
I never said out loud that I want to be a writer, it wasn’t clear to me back then. This year, the year of shedding and transformation—I finally said it out loud for all to hear and guess what? No one judged me, no one ridiculed me, it was quite the opposite. I was met with support, some people even saying that it made sense which surprised me. I don’t know what the future holds but I’m excited for what this new year will bring. The wood snake prepared me for my journey ahead as I take my first step onto this new path—the path I was always meant to be on. I’m ready for the fire horse year, for change, new opportunities, hard work, movement, and getting out of my comfort zone. Happy New Year.
Thank you for being here <3 Jess