Podcast Summary: “Everything’s Perfect…Except It’s New Year’s Eve 🥂”

Podcast: Everything’s Perfect
Hosts: Autumn Calabrese & Donald Stamper
Episode Date: December 30, 2025

Overview

In this candid and emotionally-charged New Year’s episode, best friends and co-hosts Autumn Calabrese and Donald Stamper unpack the complicated feelings that come with transitions, endings, and the start of a fresh year. Using the metaphor of 2025 as the “Year of the Snake”—a year centered around shedding what’s outdated and embracing transformative growth—the duo reflect on personal endings, letting go, and looking forward to new possibilities. The conversation traverses from playful debates about desserts to deep discussions about identity, loss, forgiveness, and finding meaning in shedding the old for the sake of emergence and renewal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Liminality & Comfort Debates

• [01:07–06:01] The episode kicks off with playful banter about holiday treats, with Donald expressing strong aversions to coconut in desserts and oatmeal cookies, while Autumn defends her love for both.

  • Quote:
    • “Don’t you put coconut flakes and shit that I’m going to eat. I don’t want.” (Donald, 03:33)
    • “Brownies are so good…why would you ruin a brownie with nuts?” (Autumn, 04:13)

• The hosts discuss the comical confusion of the week between Christmas and New Year’s, a time filled with inertia and lost motivation.

2. Year of the Snake: Shedding Old Skins

• [06:08–09:11] Autumn introduces the concept of 2025 as the “Year of the Snake” and a “Nine Year” in karmic numerology, both signifying a cycle of endings, transformation, and preparing for new beginnings.
  • Quote:
    • “In snake years, everything that’s false, expired, or outgrown must fall away. The snake strips you down to your most honest self. Not to punish you, but to prepare you. Shedding is the medicine.” (Autumn, 06:36)
  • Symptoms of these cycles:
    • Fatigue
    • Awkward relationships
    • Career upheavals
    • Dissolving old identities
    • Emotional eruptions

3. Personal Stories of Shedding & Letting Go

• [10:20–13:43] Donald connects Autumn’s reading to his real-life choice to leave his restaurant job—a major shift away from a reliable source of income (and identity), likening the feeling to the shedding described.
  • Quote:
    • “It was hard for me…But it was literally sucking my soul. It served its purpose, but I had to move on from it.” (Donald, 10:57)
• Both hosts acknowledge the pain of letting go of familiar safety nets, the discomfort of transitions, and the absence of guarantees during such times.

4. Navigating Change Without a Map

• [13:44–16:58] They discuss the difficulty of moving forward when you don’t have a “crystal ball,” emphasizing the importance of not being stuck in the past to allow for new possibilities.
  • Quote:
    • “You’re gonna keep thriving as long as you don’t sit in the past…Acknowledge, love it, appreciate it for the memory and the space it holds. Then you can know that much awesomeness is still out there to be had again.” (Autumn, 16:23)

5. Identity, Legacy, and Worth

• [16:58–20:19] Donald reflects on phases of recognition and self-worth tied to external achievements, from singing competitions to wellness breakthroughs. He realizes that his value isn’t platform-dependent:
  • Quote:
    • “My contribution has always been mine to give to the world. I’m gonna do that no matter the platform.” (Donald, 19:10)

6. Practical Tips for Shedding & Releasing

• [21:40–24:38] Autumn shares concrete suggestions for clearing out the old—from decluttering physical space to releasing subscriptions, relationships, and emotional residue—so that new growth has room to flourish as they anticipate 2026, the “Year of the Horse” (symbolizing forward momentum).
  • Tips Include:
    • Release unused clothes and objects
    • Clear digital clutter
    • Let go of draining or obligational relationships
    • Surrender outdated identities and emotional baggage

7. Forgiveness and Healing

• [25:40–29:36] Donald opens up about forgiving an old friend and the freedom that comes from releasing resentment—a powerful act of self-healing.

  • Quote:
    • “When we forgive, like, fully forgive someone, even those who aren’t apologetic…it’s freeing ourselves.” (Donald, 29:32)

• Both acknowledge the messiness of human relationships and the importance of recognizing our own imperfect responses and growth over time.

8. Endings Aren’t Failures, They’re Transformative

• [33:01–34:43] Autumn reads reflective journaling prompts around letting go, encouraging listeners to ask themselves what roles, relationships, or patterns they’re clinging to, and what’s ready to be released.

  • Prompt Highlights:
    • “What am I holding onto that I know is ready to leave my life?”
    • “What relationships feel complete or misaligned with who I am becoming?”
    • “What emotions am I avoiding that are asking to be released?”

• Quote:

  • “The snake never sheds out of punishment. It sheds because growth requires spaciousness. The horse cannot run if you are carrying unnecessary weight.” (Autumn, 33:50)

9. Poem: “Instructions Before Visiting Earth” by James McCrae

• [40:27–42:26] Donald reads a moving poem that reframes human life as a rare and precious “assignment,” encouraging grace, detachment, and heartfelt living.

  • Notable Excerpts:
    • “Don’t panic…Your condition is only temporary. You have been selected for the opportunity of human incarnation.”
    • “Nothing is owned, only borrowed. As you walk among the people on the planet, try to be a good guest…Give more than you take.”

• The hosts reflect on the ephemeral, interconnected nature of life, loss, and our soul’s safety beyond temporary outcomes.

  • Quote:
    • “I love the way it was written…when you really stop and think about…the likelihood of you ending up here.” (Autumn, 42:54)

10. Spirituality, Timelessness, and Soul Connections

• [45:24–50:57] The conversation broadens philosophically, with Donald wondering if relationships are predetermined or subject to “missed turns,” and reflecting on the eternal aspects of the soul. They muse about time, energy, and the possibility that we’re all interconnected “beams of light.”
  • Quote:
    • “We are individual beams of light that come together to be a part of the singular pool of light…It’s just kind of a neat out there way to think about how we’re all connected and, and also answers no questions. Also, I have no idea what the hell’s going on, but it’s fun to talk about.” (Donald, 51:38)

11. Lighthearted Close & Encouragement

• [56:06–62:00] The hosts return to lighter banter, joking about tears (Autumn) and emotional timing (Donald), and reaffirm the show’s mission: embracing life’s messiness, celebrating growth, and facing change with optimism and authenticity.

  • Quote:
    • “If it’s been a hard year for you…if you feel loss or end or completion and it’s weighing hard, maybe you can look at it in a different light. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” (Autumn, 60:32)

• They invite listeners to reach out, share stories, and join in the ongoing community of “perfectly imperfect” living.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Shedding isn’t easy…But I know the next chapter. It’ll be amazing. The next phase is going to be just as big and just as bold and just as impactful.” (Donald, 15:33)
• “You can’t carry dead timelines into a new cycle.” (Autumn, 08:40)
• “Let this shedding be conscious. Let it be tender. Let it be complete. Release what is heavy. Honor what is true.” (Autumn, 34:20)
• “My contribution has always been mine to give to the world. I’m gonna do that no matter the platform.” (Donald, 19:10)
• “Don’t keep your soft heart locked inside a glass cage.” (James McCrae poem, read by Donald, 41:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Choosing Holiday Treat Sides: 01:07–06:01
• Year of the Snake Reading & Signs: 06:08–09:11
• Donald’s Restaurant Story: 10:20–13:43
• Letting Go Process & Emotional Hurdles: 13:44–16:58
• Value Beyond Titles & Career: 16:58–20:19
• Decluttering/Shedding Tips: 21:40–24:38
• Forgiveness & Healing: 25:40–29:36
• Reflective Journaling Prompts: 33:01–34:43
• “Instructions Before Visiting Earth” Poem: 40:27–42:26
• Spiritual/Soul Connections: 45:24–50:57
• Final Encouragement & Community Invitation: 56:06–62:00

Tone & Authenticity

The episode is marked by warmth, vulnerability, and humor; raw emotions surface as Autumn tears up while reading, and Donald adds compassion, lightness, and thoughtful humor throughout. Their friendship and willingness to “embrace the messy middle” create an atmosphere that’s supportive, genuine, and relatable.

Final Thoughts

This New Year’s episode of “Everything’s Perfect” offers a heartfelt guide for anyone standing at a crossroads. Through honesty, vulnerability, and laughter, Autumn and Donald remind listeners of the beauty (and necessity) of change, the importance of letting go, and the freedom that comes with creating space for new chapters. If you’re facing a year of transition, this is the permission slip and the pep talk you need.

Listener Invitation:
Share your shedding journey or New Year reflections at everythingsperfectpodcast@gmail.com, or connect on Instagram @everythingsperfectofficial.