2014

2014. It’s finally here. According the the Chinese zodiac, this is the Year of the Wood Horse. 

The horse, in Chinese astrology, is the pinnacle of freedom. Its grace and movement embodies adventure. The wood horse’s respect, much like our equine partners, must be earned. This year isn’t so much about what you want to do, or the plans you make, it’s the follow-through; the actions, which we all know have the capacity to speak louder than words.

I used to be against resolutions. I used to judge those who picked and pruned their habits and routines, in hope of a happier tomorrow. Last year, on the brink of 2013, I chose to make monthly resolutions. This was a fun project and it kept me caring about the passage of time, the phases of the moon, and the swift surrender of “I tried” to the valiant torch of “I can try again.” 

This year, I am doing something new. I am choosing my intentions, my mantras. I am placing a high-level approach, to be dissected with every meditation, prayer, and peak into the future. I am waltzing into 2014 with a word: Bravery.

If you’ve ever dated me, you’ll know that one of the things I have always wanted to do, since childhood, was be brave. This sentiment would often trip off the tongue as I opened up my hard casing and let certain people have a look at what was inside. Despite their source, I had no idea what it meant. I didn’t know how to be brave. That wasn’t something I had taken a class on in university. It was just a feeling. A suspicion that a life of cowardice would lead to heartache, disappointment, and resentment. By finding the opposite of that, I would find the antithesis of my fears: love, acclaim, appreciation. I would often speak these words to the people I thought would guide me from nooks of despair into endless fields of joy. 

Not everything goes according to plan. 

By now, I know no good will come of clutching onto coattails or hoping to find good fortune on the backs of others. When I think of bravery, I think of adventure: anew career, a wedding, and unforeseen opportunities. I think of proof: proving to myself, to my family, to my followers, that I wake up each morning thankful for the chance for my heart to race and my lungs to breathe deep the scent of the unknown. No longer do I face the abyss with nervous, fidgeting fingers. This is the year for bravery, this is the year to prove to myself what I can do.

May the Wood Horse bring you all your sense of freedom, and some adventure in one shape or another. For those of you who are on the hunt for a picturesque way to map out your upcoming year, click on the link for a free desktop calendar for January!