Last year was the Year of the Snake.
A year of shedding.
Of levelling up through release rather than accumulation.
Of letting skins fall away — not because they were wrong, but because they were no longer needed.
It wasn’t gentle work.
The Snake doesn’t rush transformation. It asks for honesty. It asks us to sit with discomfort long enough to understand what must be left behind. And in that process, we became lighter. Clearer. More precise.
We didn’t emerge unchanged — we emerged refined.
Now, we step into the Year of the Horse.
And we are not entering it with hope.
We are entering it with intention.
From Shedding to Riding
The Horse does not hesitate.
It moves with power, direction, and momentum.
This year is not about waiting to see what happens.
It is about choosing how we move — and committing to the ride all the way to the end.
Last year strengthened our legs.
This year asks us to trust them.
We are ready to ride — not recklessly, but with purpose. With eyes forward and reins in hand. And if the terrain rises again, if another level is asked of us, we are ready.
Because we are lighter now.
And we are stronger.
The Poutama We Carry
At the heart of PAUSE is our poutama — the stepped pattern of ascent. A reminder that growth does not happen in one leap, but through intentional progression.
Each step is earned.
Each level is integrated before the next is taken.
Last year was a climb that required shedding weight.
This year is a climb that requires momentum.
And if another step reveals itself — we won’t resist it.
We’ve already done the work to carry less and hold more.
Strengthening My Voice
One of my clear intentions this year is to strengthen my voice.
Not just to speak louder, but to speak truer.
To fine-tune how I use it.
To understand when it needs to challenge, when it needs to invite, and when it needs to simply hold space.
I’m deeply grateful for the support of Waiata Mai Vocal Coaching, who are helping me understand the mechanics and the mana of voice.
For Piritahi Marae, where voice is not separated from whenua, whakapapa, or responsibility.
And I acknowledge, with openness and readiness, the organisations and spaces I have not yet engaged with, but will. The platforms that will offer room to speak, share, and contribute when the time is right.
I am not rushing toward them.
I am preparing to meet them well.
A Year of Deliberate Motion
This year is not about proving.
It is not about chasing.
It is about moving with clarity, and trusting the strength built through last year’s shedding.
We ride this year knowing who we are.
Knowing what we carry.
Knowing what we will no longer pick back up.
And if the path rises again
we will step, not stumble.
This is the year of the Horse.
And we are ready.