A New Cycle Begins: What Are You Ready to Release?

The past three weeks of 30 Days of Gratitude have meant more to me than I expected. If you're anything like me, this time of year can stir up memories…the kind that pull at old wounds, and the old stories we've worked hard to move past.

 

So practicing gratitude hasn't just been grounding. It's been lifesaving. It's been medicine. This past year, you've seen me heal out loud (a term my dear friend, Kristina has used), in front of you, with you, and for myself. You know this, especially if you've read my new book. And maybe you've been doing that too, even without realizing it.

 

2025 has been the Year of the Snake, and if you follow Chinese astrology at all, you know Snake years are all about shedding. Letting go. Releasing the skin that has grown too tight. Releasing the patterns that somehow survived long past their purpose. I feel like there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't cry at some point. I had years of patterns I didn't even know I was holding onto until everything fell apart. But it was everything I needed, regardless of how painful it was. 

 

The thing is, snake energy is introspective. It pulls you inward so you can see what you've outgrown, what's been hurting you, and what needs your compassion before you can let it go.

 

And in numerology, this year has also been a Universal Year 9, which marks the end of a nine-year cycle. This looks like completion, closure, and clearing space.

 

A 9 year asks: What am I still carrying that I don't want to take into my next chapter? And trust me, that question has been sitting with me…in my journal, on tour buses, in my home, and in the quiet moments when no one's looking.

 

It's that same question that shaped The Girl Who Cried Love. Because writing that book was me healing out loud - releasing the versions of myself that clung to old pain, old love, and old narratives. And every time someone messages me saying, “Your book helped me feel less alone,” I'm reminded that healing out loud isn't just for us. It's for the people who need to see someone go first. That is why it makes it easy to be vulnerable with you all. There is beauty in sharing the darkness because it brings it to light, one which we can all heal from.

 

Now here's the magic: We're leaving a Snake year and a 9 year…and walking straight into a Horse year and a Universal Year 1.

 

2026 - the Year of the Horse - is all about forward motion. Freedom. Momentum. Courage. Self-expression. It's the energy of breaking into a run after feeling stuck for far too long.

 

And a Universal Year 1 is rebirth. New beginnings. Fresh identity. Creative expansion. Planting seeds that actually align with who you've become. It's the “I choose differently now” year.

 

So before we cross that threshold, I want to gently invite you to release whatever has been weighing on your heart: the disappointments, the grief, the heartbreak, the unresolved conversations, the self-blame, the tightness in your chest when you think about the past.

 

Let the Snake year close it.
Let the 9 year lay it to rest.

Let yourself walk into the Horse year, and the 1-year, with hope, with clarity, and with a heart that's ready to run. You deserve that kind of freedom. We all do.

 

Take this mantra with you:

 

I release what no longer serves me. I honor who I've been.
I step forward with clarity, courage, and love. This is my new beginning. ✨✨

 

I love you.

Lindsay M.

 

PS - Download the 30-day Inspired AF Journal Prompt. It's such a perfect way to end your year, and dream big for 2026. Link is below.