Peace, Harmony and Strength

In honor of the coming lunar New Year in February, the Year of the Sheep promises to be good, quietly spectacular. Sheep are gentle, kind and sympathetic. The symbol of the green, wooden sheep is one of harmony, creativity and elegance. I celebrate the Chinese New Year, having been born in Asia, of parents who lived in China. A rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac, I have the good fortune of longevity on my side.

     In spite of the wisdom of age, however, bad habits return to haunt me. One of the most insidious is living the expectations of others; it defeats in subtle ways. Friends and family members, offer heaps of advice. I'll get mine, thank you, from my New Year fortune cookie. Otherwise, I'll do my own thinking.

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. Thomas Carlyle

Slippery Slope 1 - Becoming Dependent

     My daughter recently recommended I take a baseline test of cognitive function. The first time she suggested this, I balked. The second time I remained silent, as did my physician. (I have an eidetic memory. Never easy going, I have been described as temperamental. Fair enough, but I have not slipped my tether to reality.) The same child also said, "We need to have a serious talk, and you may not like what we say." This, in honor of planning for my old age and the end of my life. I simply replied, "You may be uncomfortable, but I will not. The choices are mine to make." We are not our children's children, unless we allow ourselves to become too reliant upon them. There are increasingly more and better options for aging in place, and I intend to utilize them, as needed.

Slippery Slope Number 2 - Accepting Limitation

     People who should know better offer us limitations on what we can achieve. What is on your list for 2015? My list includes:

• Continuing Weight Loss
• Opening a Revenue Stream 
• Following Anti-Inflammatory Diet
• Improved Physical Fitness

     I hope to gain more energy, expand my social and volunteer lives ... all without breaking the bank. I know what you're thinking, "Good luck, lady, you are going to need it!" My mother would put it in terms of whether the dragons were with her. She had studied Mandarin and Chinese mythology in China. She was a living example of the singularly Chinese values of frugal living and hard work. At home she always had a basket of handwork to do, knitting, crochet, mending, embroidery. Rather than gossip, she created. If anything Mother was an overachiever. Who was I to question her belief?

Slippery Slope Number 3 - Relinquishing Power

     Here is a brief synopsis concerning Chinese dragons. Dragons are celestial and terrestrial spirit guides, if you will. They are the source of great wisdom and power. Did you, perhaps, watch the film, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and wonder about the title? The hidden dragon is the Sixth Dragon. In Taoism, the Sixth Dragon holds the final key to health and wellbeing. It is meditation, development of the Sixth Sense.

Regardless of culture or spiritual belief, we all have personal power, including the power to create myth.  Speak your peace this year!