Kung Hei Fat Choi! (2011)

Kung Hei Fat Choi! It’s the Lunar New Year once again, and we move from the violent Year of the Tiger to the relatively more benign Year of the Rabbit. The general rule for figuring out what kind of year it will be, if you believe in Chinese Astrology, is that the year mimics the animal it was named after. So for instance, 2010 was supposed to be marked with violence, like the fierce tiger, known for it’s hunting and killing abilities. So since rabbits are such gentle, quiet herbivores, expect a relatively placid year ahead.

The Year of the Tiger did sort of live up to its reputation. Remember how we had the bus hostage crisis last year? And they always say that the year-end, the tail of every year, has a whip-like effect. This means the full brunt will be felt as the lunar year comes to a close. In Tagalog, huling hagupit. And true enough, we had the carnap issue, the bus bombing and the scaffolding accident right as the year was ending.

But of course I personally take this with a grain of salt. I was told that 2010 will be a difficult year for me (I’m Year of the Sheep/Goat). But 2010 turned out to be one of my best years EVER, at least financially. And I remembered years which were supposed to be my best, but they turned out crappy. So I’m still a big subscriber to the power of each one of us to forging our own destinies. I don’t discount the possibility of certain effects the stars and planets around us may have on our lives (even gravity alone affects the tides, so who is to say it doesn’t “affect” lives as well?) but even if I believed in it, I still think we have the last say on the matter. Think of it like a race. If let’s say a bad year would be like strapping on an extra 100 pounds on one runner, for sure it will affect his performance, but in the end, he can still win the race if he works hard enough. Same thing I guess with what they call “difficult years”. You might find more obstacles than usual along your path, but it’s ultimately up to you if you’ll let it stop you.

So what I’ve decided the past couple of years, is to stop reading forecasts. In my opinion, what’s the point? If they tell me it’ll be a bad year, I’ll just get paranoid thinking I’ll have 365 bad days. If they say it’ll be a great year, I’ll be disappointed if it turns out less stellar than was hyped. So I’d rather think that each year is a great year. I don’t want to handicap myself any more than I already do on my own.

So I wish you all the same thing: a great year, good health, bounty all year round, and love to last the ages. Kung Hei Fat Choi!