Gung Hay Fat Choy “Happy New Year,” so what about resolutions?

It’s February, the first of January already seems ages ago.  I’m screwed, so it seems.  Super bowl has come and gone, even Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras has come and gone.  Now the Chinese New Years is here, it has come and now is gone like a flash in the pan and it is over.  Time flies before you can blink an eye.   Where does it go?  I’m still trying to catch up on late birthdays and Valentine greetings.

I used to spend days - weeks planning and sharing my New Years resolutions.  How much have you’ve stayed on track?  I’ve flushed those ideas down the drain three years ago.  Do we do ourselves a favor by making them and not sticking to it (rhetorically speaking), or should we just be honest with ourselves and go overboard with everything to maximum carnality on Mardi Gras; confess our sins and begin the quest of conscious sacrifice through a forty-day discipline of abstinence to deny the flesh of earthy indulgences beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter?   Every turn, there is a reason to celebrate which serves as an excuse to get side-tracked from plans for discipline; like loosing thirty pounds, not drinking brown liquors, eating more salads, not smoking, getting more exercise, eating out less frequently, saving money, getting the car repaired, cleaning out the closet, etc.   In the western world, we fail terribly in the art of making New Years’ resolutions.  The practice does not have to be confined by religious doctrine, not to say that religion doesn’t help.

So who’s to blame?   Maybe the idea of New Year resolution is a misconception about change when the focus for success should be adaptability: change, adapt, grow and improve.   George Bernard Shaw said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”

Here’s a bit of Adinkra wisdom contributed by Nana who was inspired by the story about the lichen spider told him by his sister on the ability to adapt.   Enjoy.  

Sonja Brooks

Reflections on Adinkra ADAPTABILITY

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. ~Darwin

1. Manual skills

2. Physical Fitness

3. Creativity          

4. Critical Thinking

5. Communication 

If I were to make a top 5 list of the traits that are traditionally seen as MVTs [most valuable traits], you’d probably see those 5. One or two might be switched out, but a lot of people talk about those 5 traits but consistently leave out the most important trait of all. This trait that allows some people to excel in whatever they do while others flop. This trait that lets people enter completely new arenas of knowledge and not only survive, but thrive like the lichen spider that is able to camouflage itself and feed uninterrupted. If you have this trait, you can do just about anything. So what is this trait that will open doors of opportunity and create more chances for growth than you could imagine?

Why Adaptability is Essential

Being adaptable is like walking into a pitch black room. At first you can’t see anything and everything looks foreign, but soon you’re able to start to make out shapes, and objects. Pretty soon you’re able to see everything and keep functioning as normal. Anytime you walk into an unfamiliar setting, subject matter or area of interest that you’re not familiar with, at first you don’t recognize anything but once you DECIDE to ADAPT and CHANGE things begin to appear less fearful and more manageable. Simply decide to have an adaptable attitude regardless of the situation you find yourself in (like the lichen spider) and you will be amazed with what life gives you back. Keep smiling at the person in the mirror.

You don't need a reason to be happy just a choice. It's a beautiful world, enjoy it. Dream. Explore. Discover.

Contributor: Nanna Abban "Reflections of Adinkra."
Graphics: Graphic image:  Stuart Miles

CELEBRATE THE MIRACLE OF LOVE, LIFE AND LAUGHTER TO CLOSE 2015

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people" - Victor Borge

The year end is a time meant for reflecting all things good and bad, happy, sad; a time for a  moment in remembrance.    It is also a time of letting go forgiving and clearing our mental, spiritual and physical houses that can bring a flood of mixed emotions.  Remembering the good and fond things about people we are not longer connected to in the physical actually brings their spiritual essence closer.  More importantly is letting go and only holding on to the good and healthy thoughts.  

2015 has been a year of good, bad, and unexpected tragedies. It has been a year of resilience and for those of us who woke up this morning, a year of many blessings.  One way to balance life in between the ups and downs for the coming year is to remember to laugh.  "Laughter is the best medicine" is more than just cliche;  it's scientific.  For the year 2016 never forget how to forgive; just live, love and laugh.  Sonja Brooks.

“Where there is great love, there are always miracles”  – Willa Cather 

Amidst all the celebrations, the most powerful way to end the year for me is to celebrate the miracle of love.   Love is much greater than what we feel romantically. It is what makes us sing, dance and makes us human.  Love is the most amazing thing in our lives. It is what make us human, what makes life worth living – in the grander scheme of things, nothing else truly matters. The size of our homes, bank balances, the beauty of our partner, the speed of our car – all those things pale into insignificance when we face the miracle of love.

Love leads to other miracles such as kindness. Have you noticed how great you feel afterwards when you have done someone a kind deed? Through the miracle of our love, we can indeed transform the world – even a hug, a loving touch or just a smile can cause the miracle of healing others. There are so many simple things we can all do on a daily basis to bring more love into our lives. Together we can all make this an even more beautiful and miraculous world than it already is. I love the Creator of the Universe, and I love you all. Thank you for all your support and love (you know who you are). There are even greater miracles about to happen in 2016.  Watch out for those miracles. Keep loving. 

You don't need a reason to be happy just a choice. It's a beautiful world, enjoy it. Dream. Explore. Discover.
Contributor: Nanna Abban "Reflections of Adinkra."

From Losses to Days and New Strength

NEW DAY. NEW STRENGTH.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Everyone has an equal opportunity to deal with losses from little tangible items such as treasured childhood things to something of great value such as a home or a relationship.  In aging, humans sometimes lose the value of precious memories.   You can learn how to let go of the past. Whether you have experienced a break up with someone you cared for deeply, whether death has taken a loved one, whether you have had a feud with a friend or family member, whether you have lost a job or a business has gone bust.  Life can be joyful and rewarding again when we learn how to move on and let go.  Let a broken romance or friendship go. Let a lost job become an experience and no more. Even with death, there is a time to mourn, and there is a time to renew and to move on with your own life.

Why spoil your day complaining.   It is better to focus your thoughts on positive matters.

Do's and Don'ts  

Don't spend too much time or energy mourning what has happened. 

Don't over-react to your loss and take any sudden actions without time for careful contemplation.

If you are feeling desperately lonely or frightened, don't take actions based on those emotions. 

Seek support in the short term, and only make significant commitments after you have restored a sense of being centered and confident.

Don't complain about what has happened, and don't listen to your friends' complaints.

 Keep your attention on building a bright future.   Every day brings new choices.  - Martha Beck

Nana Abban - blog contributer 

HAPPINESS: Desiring, Hoping, Wishing, Creating

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen; others make it happen,” is a quote Michael Jordan made at the peak of his success. Perhaps he did not originate the quote, but certainly the most famous person to say it publicly that will resonate forever.

I’ve heard this quote paraphrased by mystics, ministers, motivational speakers, Sufi’s and many others given a platform to teach, preach and reach.   It doesn’t really matter the source from which the wisdom comes, only the results of the intended action because of it.  Just imagine the physical state of a professional sports athlete; the mind - body coordination must become more receptive to coaching and training than that of the average person. Special conditioning of the mind-body coordination improves over time until it reaches a performance capacity peak absent from injuries, it be followed by a slow and natural digression called aging that occurs in all forms of life.   More so, what happens when the mind-body can no longer master performance driven successes; when satisfaction and gratification are a void?   Life becomes critical for most high-performing individuals, including athletes, executives, top-achievers and workaholics. At worst, some will conclude that life is unbearable.

Prior to reaching the performance peak  along with the mind and body conditioning and after is the spirit-self that also needs the same intensity of training.  Depression and fatigue come easily absent the core training of our being.  More so, when we work and train hard with a sense of balance, we will often recognize it in ourselves as satisfaction or gratification and at times may even witness greatness.  Achieving greatness is not limited to physical performance, talents, wealth or receiving highest recognition or awards.


“You can chase a desire; hope for success; wish to achieve wealth or you can create happiness.” The greatest achievement of man is finding unwavering happiness right where you are; and often it's in the palm of your hand.” -  S. B.

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” -  Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
- Mahatma Gandhi