Recession weather or a chance to stop and live a little?

So we made it to February and the New Year for the Chinese calendar got off to a flying start. As mentioned the Year of the Ox is about 'hard work'. This can be interpreted in many ways and you can view it as a chore or a challenge. Since the general vibe around at present is very fear based, the energy of the Ox Year can be viewed as a great opportunity to get real.
Clarity, focus and truth were mentioned in the January blog. This month is simply an extension of it. If you are serious about getting fit, changing jobs, starting a new career or changing direction in life completely, then you gotta be prepared to put the work in.
It makes sense and it has been tried and tested by many - those that succeed in whatever they've set out to do generally got there because they were prepared to put in the work. This doesn't mean doom and gloom and doing something that you really don't want to do...but it does mean getting real!
This is definitely a year based on change and so part of the hard work could simply be about being adaptable and being prepared for it. Change can be viewed as good or bad - it depends on your perspective and the situation you find yourself in. What can be helpful is knowing that although change can sometimes be viewed as 'hard work', (because it can often mean looking at the areas of your life that you really didn't want to!) it means growth, progress and learning. If you can step outside the immediate fear around change and just try and see it as a chance to learn something new about your life and how your living it, then the hard work of doing just that pays off. We know it isn't always easy and when you're in the thick of change it can seem overwhelming! This is especially true when you've been made redundant, can't find new work, have a family to raise or you're finding your relationships are suffering, including the one with yourself. Change is upon us, whether we like it or not. So like the current snowy weather we're all encountering we can see the changes as a hindrance or a chance to take a moment and see what beauty is around us, is in our lives, adapt to the changes and breathe.