Thursday, May 22, 2008

Time Flies: The Art of Taking Stock

I launched into this year with many hopes, goals & aspirations. Suddenly a good 1/4 of the year has gone by since my last post (can't believe it myself---plus i guess have been slack at updating this, haha) and we're well into summer already!

Incredibly, I'm in a taking stock, consolidating phase of this year already...i know it sounds weird being only 1/4+ into the year. Why, u might ask? Because we need to sometimes. For me personally, the opportunities have been incredibly abundant this year. And i've been making some inroads into pretty much all aspects of my life that I'm pursuing. After all, life is all about capturing every opportunity that's thrown to you right?

Well, no. Opportunities may not always turn into successes (ask me personally for details..haha) and grabbing opportunities left, right & centre can be VERY tiring, draining and stressful and even downright depressing when things don't turn out as expected! I *knew* prior to the year that all the developments in my life this year would make my life complicated (from my BaZi la). And it's been the most complicated that's it's been since 2005!

So "suddenly" 1/4+ into the Earth Rat year, I'm tired and rather depressed. And needing to take stock. Needing to encapsulate the BaZi adage that sometimes we need to choose wisely and that it's not worth the mental, emotional and spiritual drain of doing/taking everything that comes our way. I knew it was gonna be draining and tiring but told myself "KE, try it...see if you can handle it". You see, after all, we ALWAYS have a choice of what to do and what NOT to do.

I remember once telling a person I met at a networking do about how 1 aspect of BaZi analysis is to determine what opportunities are coming and which to grab etc. The person of course (you know how these networking folks can be) tells me proudly "Well, I take ALL opportunities that come my way." And my response was that you can't possibly physically or mentally handle everything so it's wise to choose pursuing the RIGHT thing and the RIGHT time.

So this lovely Snake month, reality has hit me and I'm indeed in a consolidation phase, taking stock of where I am, my physical well-being and emotions and more importantly, making adjustments to my goals & aspirations. See folks, 2 important lesssons here--

i) you use BaZi as a guide and to benchmark against your path you are walking. Merely going with the flow...is it good for your psyche, personal happiness? Eg (in my case), opportunities and a life with 10,000 things happening may not always be the best for your soul and spirit!
ii) even BaZi practitioners have their own lives to manage (we are people too...just because we "know" and can dispense practical solutions doesn't mean we are divine in any way).

Looking back now (and my previous entries) I'm starting to think perhaps there was a reason why i've not posted til now. Read my previous entries again and compare it against this one. There should be an important BaZi/life lesson to be learnt in between :)

Monday, February 4, 2008

Happy Earth Rat Year!

Today is Feb 4, 2008. This is the 1st day of spring in the Chinese Solar Calendar and is indeed the official 1st day of the Earth Rat year.

Happy (real) New Year everyone and may the Earth Rat year bestow you with amazing happiness, abundant wealth opportunities and splendid health!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Ah...time for festivities as we herald the Earth Rat!

Here comes the firecrackers (shhh...don't tell anyone), goodies, ang pows and new clothes!

I'm very much looking forward to the Chinese New Year. Got exciting plans for all perpectives of my (working) life and this is THE year to decide on how I'm gonna live out my "life plan" for well...the rest of my life.

As for preparations, I've been doing the usual stuff scurrying here and there eg. planning for the New Year in terms of actions and what to do, shopping and also "updating" feng shui for coming year.

At the recent Joey Yap's annual talk, I was roped-in to help ease the "quickie" 10-min BaZi consultations line, even though I was busy with other things. The same amazing and often outrageous requests from the "quickie" clients ie. to tell them ALLLL aspects of their lives in uhm...10 min! Perhaps they didn't read the banner which exactingly mentions that they've got to prepare 3 questions to ask the consultant...Anyway, yours truly promptly put them in their place! Thank the heavens I didn't need to do that many of the "quickie" consultations because quite frankly that's not my style. I find it difficult to help someone meaningfully in that short of time.

At other times, I was reminded again and again at how impatient people are and how sooooo many people are in search of a quick fix with little or no effort. Is life ever so simple or more accurately, is life ever that *convenient*? Everything needs a bit of time, effort and investment folks...even when it comes to improving yourself and your life.

Speaking of which, if you've NOT gotten a full BaZi reading, what on earth are you still waiting for :)

Happy Earth Rat Year everyone and Gong Xi Fa Chai!!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Brief Outlook for 12 Animal Signs in the 2008 Earth Rat Year

Notes:

i) For more info in addition to the animal sign of your birth year, check to see what other animal signs are in your complete BaZi chart.
ii) How the year would *specifically* unfold and affect a particular individual would depend on the full interactions within his/her BaZi chart.

Rat

An unsettled year is in store for the Rat but the good news is that the lack of ease is due to more authority, power and resultant wealth. Rats will have good ability to manage and generate wealth. Health-wise, Rat you need to take care of your health and watch out for accidents, potential robbery and sudden health problems.

Ox

Expect the presence of good noble people (particularly males) and increased power and advancement. You’ll meet many new people and increase your contacts. However, relationships with peers, friends and siblings will prove tiring and troublesome. Resist the urge to change jobs as there are some unseen dangers.

Tiger

An average year for the Tiger. There’ll be increased travel and wealth opportunities from abroad or being on the move. While you’ll feel a bit lonely from your travels or with your work endeavours Tiger, do capitalize on this! Watch out for some legal issues or possible defamation/dispute. Do keep an eye out for the health of elderly family members.

Rabbit

A year of good persuasive powers, flirting and attraction! This is the year for the Rabbit to be suave and attractive. Your communication and master-minding skills are excellent this year! Look to women to be most helpful to you this year. The downsides to being so popular are possible relationship complications, hurt feelings, potential 3rd party problems and unnecessary spending. In addition, watch out for the flu or catching some unsavoury sexual disease(s). Also, familial relationships will be less than stellar.

Dragon

A year of good networking luck! You’ll experience help from others as well as increased creativity. This is a good year for cultivation and study. Don’t worry if you feel that no one “gets” what your ideas and passion are about. Also, don’t let troublesome or petty people get to you. A family member or 2 may be in for a tough time as injury or illness is indicated at home. You can pre-empt this by making some interior decoration changes to your family home.

Snake

The Snake experiences a much better year than in 2007. Noble people and supporters are around you and you bask in recognition of your endeavours. A promotion is also in store! Do guard against excessive “frivolous” expenditure. Some possible small loss or investment will be unavoidable so be proactive and invest before you are “forced” to lose money. Be thorough with press releases et al as some public relations issue is in store. Also, elderly family members may be ill.

Horse

The poor Horse is unfortunately the most afflicted of all the animal signs in 2008…The barrage of problems include hassles and obstacles in your endeavours, relationship issues, depression/lack of vitality and a sense of unease throughout the year. Stay strong Horse! You’re also likely to run into large and unavoidable expenditure and perhaps some loss of asset. Be careful during travels. Stay calm and take care of your heart, blood pressure and eyes.

Goat

A good year all around for the Goat. People are drawn to you and find you attractive. Good tidings are in store and the year is good esp. to those in rank and power. There is recognition and increased wealth as a result. Don’t fret and worry if problems arise as they will eventually resolve themselves. There’ll be instability with your life and outlook so take these in stride. Watch against being overly sensitive. Some minor stomach/digestive problems are indicated.

Monkey

An average year for the Monkey. New contacts and alliances come into your life. This is a year of increased creativity and good learning opportunities. However, take note of excessive perfectionism Monkey! There’s indication of bodily injury/bleeding so this is not a good year to be too physically active. Stay safe. Petty troublemakers abound and they could be some legal issue to deal with.

Rooster

This is YOUR year to shine Rooster! You’re the luckiest of the animal signs in 2008. There is overall good luck, good wealth, good relationships and many happy events/celebrations. You’ll enjoy the patronage of helpful people, drawing much goodwill and gratitude. Justice and integrity will be close to heart as you conduct yourself this year. Even initial problems will result in your become the hero/heroine when they eventually resolve themselves. Your family members will also be supportive. With such a successful year, the tongues of the green-eyed ones will be wagging but just ignore them. There is some tendency to cheat on your loved one if you’re already attached as peach blossom luck is strong. Also, be “safe” to avoid catching some unsavoury sexual disease.

Dog

The mantra for the Dog this year is to wait out all your problems...This is a year where problems are plentiful but the GOOD news is that they will resolve themselves positively. In short, expect a bad process but good ending! Your internal qi is weak this year. Physical health-wise, the Dog is prone to injury, scarring and catching others’ diseases this year. Avoid water activities this year. There’s also some tendency to be drawn into complicated and messy problems of other people. As such, Dog you’re likely to feel misunderstood, lonely and prone to “love/hate” relationships with those around you.

Boar

The Boar is under the influence of sickness stars this year. Besides sickness, you’ll feel stressed. Your internal qi is low this year and you need to work hard to maximize the year. While help may seem slow to come when you need it, if you persist it WILL come. Seek (hard) and you shall find. Hardwork and focus will result in increased wealth. Take care to eat properly as there is some sign of malnourishment (probably due to a hectic schedule). Some minor gossiping and legal issues are also indicated.