Happy New Year! Chinese New Year that is and welcome the year of the Ox.
The second sign in the Chinese Zodiac stands for pragmatic attitudes, hard work and perseverance.
The Ox is associated with building to last, and slow but sure action.
Oxen know they will succeed through hard work and sustained effort
and find no truth or benefit in concocting get-rich-quick schemes.
Pragmatic
and down-to-earth, Ox people are motivated to work hard and have no respect
for lazy or careless people.
Does sound like characteristics we will be needing this year more than ever.
Things will get done. It means focusing on just a few, long-term projects. It also suggests
proceeding in a cautious yet determined manner. Finally, it counsels
avoiding taking unnecessary risks and yielding to the temptation to
seek short-term gains.
You could ask: if it hadn't been for so many yielding to temptation for short-term gains the last few years, we wouldn't be in this recession any way.
The year 2009 will be a period of lasting accomplishments. This is true
for individuals, societies and the human race in general. There may be
times when motivation appears to be lacking. In fact the big challenge
everyone faces is to generate the enthusiasm and desire to act. Those
individuals and organisations that do will create enduring benefits for
themselves and the world.
All the above 'quotes' are from various 'Chinese horoscope' sites, some from International known online newspapers.
I don't know if you believe in star signs, Western or Chinese, or believe in the 'Predictions' this Chinese New Year will bring. I'll leave that with you, but it does make interesting if not somehow positive reading.
Greetings from an 'Ox' (and double Capricorn - so if you ever wonder why I can be so very stubborn sometimes, blame my signs 
)
Interesting post - I've read an article saying that the year of the ox would be a bad year. "A period of lasting accomplishments" - we all could need that. Often politicians prefer quick and dirty solutions, in order to prove that they are doing at least something. We need lasting solutions.
Posted by: Ulla Hennig | January 25, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Hi Ulla
I guess everyone reads/writes what he/she prefers most. Media tend to publish negative stories because good or positive news doesn't sell?
Agree with the fact we need lasting solutions and where better to start than with ourselves ;-) Reporting positive news, positive action would be a good start.
Karin H
At 12:13 25/01/2009, you wrote:
Posted by: Karin H. | January 25, 2009 at 12:21 PM