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“Happy New Year, I wish you good health and lasting prosperity. Gōnghè xīnxǐ, zhù shēntǐ jiànkāng, shìyè fādá.” Traditional greetings
Musings: Happy Chinese New Year! #YearoftheDog
For thousands of years, a twelve-year cycle named after various real or mythological animals has been used in Southeast Asia. This twelve-year cycle, sometimes referred to as the “Chinese zodiac,” associates each year in turn with a certain creature, in a fixed order of twelve animals, after which it returns to the first in the order, the Rat. The eleventh in the cycle is the Dog.
One account is that the order of the beings-of-the-year is due to their order in a racing contest involving swimming across a river, in the so-called Great Race. The reason for the Dog finishing the race second from last despite generally being a talented swimmer is explained as being due to its playful nature: the Dog played and frolicked along the way, thus delaying completing the course and reaching the finishing line.
As of 2012, the next Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar is February 16, 2018 to February 4, 2019 (Year of the Yang Earth Dog). The personalities of people born in Dog years are popularly supposed to share certain attributes associated with Dogs, such as loyalty or exuberance; however, this would be modified according to other considerations of Chinese astrology, such as the influences of the month, day and hour of birth… Wikipedia
Happy New Chinese New Year and Happy Year of the Dog! 新 Xīn 年 nián 快 kuài 乐 lè! Since this is the year of the venerable Earth Dog, we can add another auspicious greeting to the mix: Wish you luck in the Year of the Dog! 狗年大吉 gǒu nián dàjí. I had planned to post this on Thursday in preparation of the New Year but, as life would have it, other pressing events superseded my plans. Since my blog is still on West Coast time… (if you recall, I started this blog on the West Coast in 2008), I decided to be dog like: loyal, brave and even stubborn about following through on this planned post. You see, I’ve always been a huge fan of New year celebrations and the more the merrier. I love the fact that we can start a Western New Year on the first of January and then enjoy other cultural new year celebrations that include this one. But I digress; the year of the dog is a time for us to focus on how and what we communicate. Barking out orders or talking out of both sides of our mouth, while expecting others to treat us with integrity, are poor doglike traits to avoid at all costs. To make the commencement of this Dog year a positive experience, we must reach for the qualities of our higher self and remember that honesty, loyalty and kindness pays.
If you were born in the following years, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, and 2030, you are a member of the Astrological Dog tribe and fall under one of five types of dogs: Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold and Water. Each has special qualities that add to the energy and style of the type and people born under the sign also exhibit some of those traits; be it sincerity, intelligence, responsibility, an eagerness to help and more. Regardless of the Dog type you fit, this year has significant influences that could help or hinder your progress. Health concerns are in the charts for dog signs so, some precaution is needed. But have no fear, Dog soul, even with the inauspicious predictions of the wise ones, there are ways you can ameliorate the negative karma tossed your way. You see, in Chinese mythology, Tai Sui, the God of Age had a beef with the time god and 2018 is not favorable in his books. But, of course, with patience and courage, all good dog quantities, you can overcome the challenges. How to change bad luck in your dog year? You can wear red gifts from loved ones, jade accessories, change your direction and be more observant with your surroundings. Honor the good around you and keep your chain of communication open and clear.
READ: HuffPost – What’s The Meaning Of Chinese New Year’s Year Of The Dog?
Chinese highlights – The Year of the Dog 2018 — Fortune, Career, Health, and Love Prospects
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Reflections: Ending the Violence
“We have to face the fact that meaningful gun control has to be a part of homeland security.” Jeh Johnson
Reflections: Ending the Violence
I cannot stop hearing the sound of the gun as he walked down my hallway. I cannot unsee my classmates who were shot get carried out by police. I cannot unsee the bodies on the floor. Please keep in mind the horror of what we’ve gone through today. #prayfordouglas
— Morgan Williams (@morganw_44) February 15, 2018
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This morning, as I scrolled through the heart-wrenching tweets posted by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, I was heartbroken. I am heartbroken for the families, friends, teachers, and many others touched by this terrible tragedy. It saddens me deeply that our schools are no longer the safe haven we once imagined them to be. We are in a war zone and our collective conscience must be moved to find meaningful, long lasting bipartisan solutions to this problem. How could we continue to stand by and offer hackneyed platitudes as mass shootings become ubiquitous in this great nation?
According to a Gallup poll, most Americans would like to see stronger laws and ways to handle the presence of guns in our society. So why are we not pursuing that logical pathway? Sure, there is a gun culture in America and those who collect and use guns responsibly feel that building in more restrictions might hamper their access to and use of their weapons. But where does an AK-15 and similar assault weapon fit into this conversation? Why does anyone need to own a gun designed to kill massive numbers of people in a few seconds? The formidable NRA and gun lobbyists feed off of the fears of their gun owner base as they battle to maintain the status quo. But how many more mass shootings will wake us up to the urgency many of us know is desperately lacking? Did you know that in all of the 20th century, we had 226 school shootings and that so far in this millennium we have had 212 shootings? How many more children, teachers, innocent bystanders need to die before we come to our senses that our present laws and efforts are NOT working?
With each deadly mass shooting, we gather and share our grief and prayers and a lot of folks ask for changes but not much gets done to prevent it from happening again. The numbers of innocent lives lost to gun violence continues to grow and the conversation that needs to take place must rise above our fears and address the stark and horrific impact that the use of assault weapons and access to guns are having on our society. Please read the articles below as they all make fantastic common sense arguments for why we need stricter controls in place. The debate on Gun Control is not about depriving responsible citizens from owning one. It is about having stricter checks and balances to prevent those who are not qualified, for a range of reasons, from owning them.
READ: SLATE – In 1996, Australia Enacted Strict Gun Laws. It Hasn’t Had a Mass Shooting Since.
Aging Millennial Engineer: “F**k you, I like guns.”
Mass Shootings Are a National Security Threat
“The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Reflections: Ending the Violence
Why the stalemate on stricter controls? If you’ve read my post, you’d know that I make it clear that most of us who want Gun Control laws to be stricter have no desire to deprive responsible citizens of their guns. Yet, again and again, gun advocates skip that clear fact to go on their rant about why they want NO/ZERO controls. WHY? Think about why you keep arguing in circles. Studies show that America has a gun culture like no other in the world. For a country that is NOT at war internally, civilians own more guns than any other country in the world. Americans use those guns to kill each other and commit suicide.
If that isn’t enough, we rank at the bottom for so called first world nations and gun violence. We fit right in with so called third world nations and gun violence. It makes no sense to me that a modern nation would continue to leave the door open for its citizens to arm themselves as if they live in a war torn, war zone in a wild west never, never land. Spare me the rants please. If 60% of level headed citizens would like to see stricter gun control laws in place, why is it NOT happening? Ask the NRA and their shills in Congress. As an educator, I have zero interest in being armed. I have zero interest in owning an assault weapon, and I have zero tolerance for the BS excuses those who want to maintain the status quo keep spewing…
READ: BBC – America’s gun culture in 10 charts
WASHINGTON POST – The terrible numbers that grow with each mass shooting
NYTIMES – After Sandy Hook, More Than 400 People Have Been Shot in Over 200 School Shootings
NPR – Deaths From Gun Violence: How The U.S. Compares With The Rest Of The World
More Below!
Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day
“Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi
Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day
Happiness Frequency – Serotonin, Dopamine and Endorphin Release Music
Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet. Plato
Most people are slow to champion love because they fear the transformation it brings into their lives. And make no mistake about it: love does take over and transform the schemes and operations of our egos in a very mighty way. Aberjhani
Love is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act does not involve judgment and decision. Erich Fromm
What is Love beyond the declarations made on the 14th? How are you nurturing yourself? As Valentine’s Day rolls around, many of us go into overdrive mode. We pull out all the stops with chocolates, flowers and conjure up special loving outings with our beloveds. For those who choose to skip all the niceties, there is Galentine’s Day or a Treat yourself day. But love and all the complicated emotions we experience with it is a life long journey, and it doesn’t start or stop after the 14th. Beyond Valentine’s Day, we need to remember that self care is key to being able to care for others. When your tank is empty, there is little you can sincerely do for others. This is also Heart Health month so we must care about our heart on so many levels and it begins with us and our selfcare/love. In case you haven’t noticed, I have included videos that offer soothing music to help us tap into our happiness and relaxation quotient. Give one of the four a try and you’d be nicely surprised!
Every year, when Valentine’s Day comes around, I am reminded of an article “Do You Love Yourself?” by inspirational author Louise Hay. It is an important one I recommend to all to read because She offers twelve important tools/tips on self love that we can use to help us push past our old tired thinking and get back on the path to self love and growth. Since Valentine’s Day focuses on the subject of love, these tips are powerful and timely for this season, and I encourage you to add them to your daily motivation/inspiration guide and routine. They are:
Stop All Criticism. Support Yourself.
Forgive Yourself. Do Mirror Work
Don’t Scare Yourself. Be Loving to Your Negatives.
Be Gentle and Kind and Patient. Love Yourself
Be Kind to Your Mind. Take Care of Your Body.
Praise Yourself. Do It Now.
“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” Paulo Coelho
Motivation Mondays: Beyond Valentine’s Day
Relaxing Music – with Binaural Beats for Serotonin Release, Happiness Meditation, Happiness Frequency
Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up. James Baldwin
There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. John Lennon
This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet. Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi
What motivates your most important relationships? love or fear? Embrace the love and examine the cause of your fear. Regardless of what motivates you, it is important to maintain a grateful heart because a grateful heart never loses the battle in the game of love, no matter the outcome. Stay grateful for all the miraculous things that happen in your life and celebrate them. Enjoy the ups and the downs, and remember to express thanks to those who show you that they care. We live in a world of billions of people, yet many hurt for lack of care and consideration. Imagine how fortunate you are for having those who care about your well-being. If you are afraid to acknowledge the love then the fear dominates. Cherish it.
What do you know about Valentine’s Day? In some places, it is believed that on this day, women were given the go ahead to enjoy the company of a man they admired. But the story doesn’t end there. On February 14th, in countries around the world, lovers coo words of affection in celebration of the love they share. According to historical sources, this popular love-fest is held in remembrance of possibly three (3) martyred Saints named Valentine; a priest, a bishop, and a Christian missionary in Africa, and was created by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. Yet, other accounts suggest Valentine’s Day is truly in observance of Lupercalia; an ancient rite of fertility and that any ties to the aforementioned saints are merely coincidental. Some believe the tradition grew from the days of Claudius I and the sacrifice young men made in leaving for war instead of staying home to raise a family; the celebration honored a wish those left behind had for the safe return of their beloved. The wistful sentiments that arise on this day prevails as lovers return to share a gift or a special moment and memory with their beloved. So you get to decide your definition of love and how you wish to express it… be reflective as it is a powerful emotion.
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for JAN 2018/FEB 2018 are:
01/01 – 01/01 New Year’s Day, 01/04 World Braille Day, 01/07 Orthodox Christmas, Golden Globes Award
01/08 – 01/11 Human Trafficking Awareness, 01/14 Orthodox New Year,
01/15 – 01/15 Martin Luther King Day, 01/21 World Religion Day,
01/22 – 01/26 International Customs Day, 01/27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
01/28 – 01/28 Grammy Awards,
02/04 – 02, National Wear Red Day, Groundhog Day,
02/11 – 13, Mardi Gras, 14, Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, 16, Chinese New Year
02/18 – 19, Presidents Day
02/25 – Wrapping Up February – Black History Month, American Heart Month, National African American History
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
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