Lessons from the Rat

Right now, I am in Boston for the Massachusetts Conference for Women. Tomorrow, I'll be leading a workshop on New Beginnings. It’s the perfect time of the year for this theme! I think we all feel it’s time for something new, something positive, something uplifting after a challenging year.

I heard that since 2008 is the Year of the Rat in the Chinese calendar, this year was all about survival. I guess when you think of what a rat does, constantly on the move and living off anything it can find, I would tend to agree! This year, we were all tested. Would we survive? What tools would we grab to get through these times of change? Would we successfully ride the change roller coaster?

If you want to find out what your Chinese astrology sign is, visit this Astrology.com page.

Next year is the Year of the Ox. I’m not sure yet what that means, but I’ve heard it might have something to do with being sturdy, earthly and no-nonsense. After a year of working for survival, next year's back to basics theme will be a welcome change.

Regardless, we are all better prepared to handle anything that comes our way, that’s for sure. Think about it—you made it through a job loss, a health diagnosis, living with less money, a breakup...I don’t think anyone was spared from change this year.

I do hope you acknowledge yourself for what you have done this year, the progress you made or the one small change you accomplished. We are all so hard on ourselves, always focusing on what went wrong and what didn’t happen. Why not ask yourself, “What was great about this year?”

I am going to post my favorite end-of-the-year questions next week so don’t forget to check back in.

As my friend and teacher, Wayne Dyer, says, life isn’t about setting goals, being better than someone else, or comparing yourself to what you think should have happened. Instead, ask yourself, "Am I better than I used to be?"

Today, ask yourself, “Is your 2008 self better than your 2007 version?”