It was a 'Snake of a Year' 🐍

It was a 'Snake of a Year' 🐍

The snake bit hard in 2025. I’ve always been scared of snakes; I literally can’t look at them on a screen. It's some primal illogical fear that makes no sense. 

You may or may not know that this year was the Chinese year of the wood snake. They promised that we would transform this year, we would literally shed our skins and leave behind what has trapped us in a pattern our whole lives. That we would embrace knowledge, intuition, creativity, have deeper growth, and learn patience. 

Well, the snake delivered more than we could have possibly imagined. It threw everything at us: war, trauma, violence, disease, death, and one difficulty after another.

Just when we felt like we could catch our breath for a second, that there was a break in the storm — Bam! There was another personal shock, collective trauma or challenge to overcome, or tough decision to make. 

I, too, had a ‘snake of a year’. 

As we come to the end of the year, I mourn alongside Sydneysiders and their families and friends and the entire Jewish community about the shooting at our beloved Bondi, our place of joy, relaxation, and good times. At times, I ask myself, as I am sure many others do, ‘How much more can we take?’

This year didn’t push me or challenge me; it slapped me around, it threw things at me, it prodded me and stung me as though someone had put a thousand needles in me and sent me schlepping up mountains of sheer rocks like a Sherpa, and just when I got to the top of the mountain, it was as though someone called from the bottom of the mountain to race back down again. WTF. 

It also broke my heart over and over again. 

But here I am with you at the end of a snake of a year, and I am still standing.

From difficulty comes growth and change; this is the number one lesson I have learnt in my life.

I also chose amongst all the difficulties (the list was too long to write) to recognise the growth, to look inwardly and see what I needed to change. 

To focus on daily joy and what good came out of this year as well. I planted a garden that brought me joy and bucket loads of flowers. I've almost finished building my sweet home, which has required a thousand conversations in Greek,  lots of mishaps, sweat, tears and joy.

I learned ‘school girl’ Greek (I am especially good if you are talking about building), I shared what I love with my family and friends, I had a thousand swims in the sea, I found joy most days with a warm coffee sitting in the sunshine watching my cats, picking roses, watching seeds sprout, and picking tomatoes. I rediscovered my deep love of photography and the joy and connection it brings me, and I never once let go of finding beauty in every day.

When things are difficult, we have two choices: to grow or to collapse. I chose to grow, to stay with it, to sit in the extreme uncomfortableness and awkwardness when I wanted to run. 

I also wanted to get to the finish line on big, important things like building our home, just as the snake invited us to tap into our resilience, so instead of doing the fun things, I stayed with the messy stuff.

I needed to shed a version of the old Carla that no longer served me; maybe you needed to shed a version of your old self, too?

So my love, I will tell you what I am shedding in the hope you too can take a look at your year and also see the good in it, and see what you want to transform.

The best question to ask yourself is what keeps you where you are, what creates chaos and stress in your world, makes you tired and exhausted, and to try and find the truth for you. 

Here goes: 

  • I am done with pleasing people. I’ve given it a good run for 60 years, and now I want to protect my energy with a strong NO. 
  • I’ve always lived in a world of more, where I believed that more was coming, and it always has, and what this allows me to do is waste things. To throw away money and many other things because more is coming, to be frivolous and lazy. But money is energy, and I want a full, down on my knees, incense burning, silent deep love and respect for my energy. 
  • Boundaries are my religion for 2026. I need better boundaries in all areas of my life as boundaries are the things that protect our energy, our time, focus and joy. I don’t want or need castle high stone walls, but I do want self respect and the respect of others. 
  • Overdoing and over-caring. One of the best reads in 2025 was David R Hawkins’ book The Art of Letting Go, and that has been my daily practice. Feeling the feelings and letting them pass, and finding peace, and reminding myself that everyone else's stuff is not my responsibility.

I believe we are being honed like a sword that gets put into a fire and is toughened, sharpened, and ready. We are becoming stronger, wiser, and more conscious versions of ourselves, and I think the biggest gift of the year of the snake is this feeling of resilience.

I like to believe this worldly upheaval and chaos is because something better is coming. That a world maybe we’ve only ever dreamed about or sang about wants to be born. Maybe the year of the snake after all has a purpose? 

May you have a beautiful end to 2025, and also keep hope, love, and faith in your heart.

 

Much love,

Carla x

Beautiful Photos of me by Claire Lloyd 

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9 comments

You mrant this post for myself and my family my beautiful mentor and coach. Carla every word relates to myself and family. 2025 has been destructive and relentless chipping away at our souls. But we are in self protection mode and need to hug each other tightly. Thank you for this post it resonates with what I was feeling after receiving more chipping. But I am strong and I will gather my family around me and we will remain the village that raises our children and pray that 2026 brings possibilities and a peaceful transition into clearer vision for the future.

Moira D Leech

This is so spot on for me. I have never been so challenged in all my life.
I have had several years when I lost most of my closest people. It was sad and I built a new life around by grief, it can pull you back in like it was yesterday even 20 years on.
This year challenged me in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
My car was stolen. a week later my home burnt down and I fractured my back at jujitsu.
It has cleared the way for new beginnings.
I am planting and growing vegetables and indoor plants. I get excited at new leaves and flowers appearing. I can watch all the birds in our peach tree coming for seeds and pieces of orange and it brings me so much joy.
I have great clarity about how I want to spend my time and the things I want to create as I’m rebuilding my life.
I believe the tiger is not fond of the snake.

Julia

This is so spot on for me. I have never been so challenged in all my life.
I have had several years when I lost most of my closest people. It was sad and I built a new life around by grief, it can pull you back in like it was yesterday even 20 years on.
This year challenged me in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
My car was stolen. a week later my home burnt down and I fractured my back at jujitsu.
It has cleared the way for new beginnings.
I am planting and growing vegetables and indoor plants. I get excited at new leaves and flowers appearing. I can watch all the birds in our peach tree coming for seeds and pieces of orange and it brings me so much joy.
I have great clarity about how I want to spend my time and the things I want to create as I’m rebuilding my life.
I believe the tiger is not fond of the snake.

Julia

David Hawkins’ Letting Go is my favourite book. I recommend the audio book too, it’s so soothing and I often return to it. I don’t think I’ve found a book that brings me more comfort!

Wishing you all the best Carla.

Angie X

Angie RĂ©he

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