The Year of Heavy Metal

新年快樂 2020!

Happy Lunar New Year of the White Metal Rat 2020!

This year marks new beginnings, both as the zodiac sign (The Rat is the 1st of 12) and as the dawn of a new decade.  We will be entering new terrain; meaning new opportunities mixed with new challenges.

Now, I'm not an astrology expert or a fortune teller.  But I do think that astrology is an empirical study worth looking into.  All I know that when it comes to anything new, there are great possibilities: both good and bad.  But like a successful person once said, "The wind blows on us all.  What makes the difference is the set of the sail.".

In other words, it depends on our mindset.  I've recently adopted a term from stoic philosophy "Amor Fati".  It means to embrace change, as it is a part of life.  Did the computer gobble a manuscript that took hours to write?  Amor Fati.  Was there a business deal that went wrong?  Amor Fati.  Passed up for a promotion?  Amor Fati.

For me, Amor Fati was nearly impossible in the beginning to accept.  With the death of my beloved Lupa, among many personal things going terribly wrong in my life, the concept seemed to be for those whose lives didn't face real tragedy but minor inconveniences.  However, as I came to look for the lesson in each seeming misfortune, the idea made more sense.

It has now been a supportive mantra of mine every time something bad happens.  When life seems bleak, I say, "Amor Fati"; not because I want it to happen but because there is within it something that will make me stronger.  Of course, I'm still learning this, so it's not easy.  Overall, I feel I'm getting better at it.  It keeps me prepared for any stormy seas that might be ahead.

We can choose to remember that
with every challenge, there is a lesson;
with every lesson, there is a solution;
with every solution, there is always hope;
with hope there is certainly joy;
and with joy there is definitely a better life and a better world.

恭喜發財!