Living your own life and going for your own dreams can seem selfish if you have a bit of old programming. Now, during the Lunar New Year, it is time to sweep those old thoughts out. This is the Year of the Fire Monkey – the year for ambition and adventure.
Monkeys are clever, quick and full of mischievous fun. Think about your life now and how you can add a dose of ambition. What dream needs a dusting off? Have you talked yourself out of something that would please or delight you? You can re-think your desires during this lunar New Year.
Part of the New Year tradition is a thorough house cleaning. When we visited Vietnam two years ago, we were there during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. As our bus rolled along the highways, we saw people bringing all their furniture out to deep clean their home. This New Year cleaning is symbolic of the cleaning out of any old spirits, which readies the home to welcome guests.
What old spirits are lingering in your mind that need to be cleaned out to prepare you for a year of action and adventure? What are you telling yourself about a goal or desire? Do you tell yourself that you “don’t deserve that”, are “too old to do that”, and “shouldn’t spend the money to have that”? It is time to clean those thoughts out so that you can open your mind and heart to a new deserving attitude.
Sometimes it feels selfish to have you own desires and goals. Think about it a new way: if you don’t go for your dreams who will? If you don’t take action toward a heart’s desire, who will? If you are waiting for the “right” time, you may wait too long. If you are waiting for everyone to be “OK” with your goals, you may wait too long. If you are waiting for someone to come along with you on an adventure, you may wait too long. What one small step can you take now toward your desired adventure or goal?
“One step begins the journey of a thousand miles.” -Old Chinese saying.
Fun, in our workaholic Puritan culture, is often set aside for work: Work in the yard, work overtime for our career. Work is glorified in our American culture. But it is fun that gives you mental rest and fuel to be creative with your life. How can you add more fun? How do you define fun? Is it going to a movie? Is it a dance or art class? Is it a walk in the woods or the beach? Is it a trip to a museum, an art gallery or the amusement park for a day? One great, fun experience we had this year was taking our grandson to Disney World for two days. If you have not experienced an amusement park with a child, put that on your list. Delight is all I can say. Having fun brings you back into the child like persona that is creative like a monkey.
Open your life to new experiences and dust off old ambitions as the Lunar year brings you fabulous Fire Monkey energy to fuel your life path.
