Chinese New Year of the Horse - 2014

The Chinese Year of the Horse begins on January 31st 2014The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac are divided into elements, each with slightly different characteristics - this year is a Wooden Horse. With slightly weaker traits to other horses, but clear thinking and the power to replace old for the new. Free spirited, volatile, with dynamic yang energy. All horses are considered fortunate and bring good luck.Horse CharacteristicsHorses represent freedom and are graceful, generous and noble. Adults sleep standing because of their weight, but only for 3-hours a day. Their ears can swivel 180-degrees and they have larger eyes and memories than elephants. Horses have sensitive skin and gallop from danger at up to 50-mph, but if necessary can defend themselves. They love crowds.Horse PeopleHorses are happy, loyal, intelligent, unselfish, enthusiastic and fun. Although they talk too much, and are impatient hot-blooded stubborn pessimists, needing support. Their wasteful spending is bad for finance, but they're un-materialistic. Horses like to dance and travel, hating silence and discipline. Their flamboyance stems from independence and not listening to others. Easily fall in love, yet get their hearts broken - and mix well with tiger, dog, or goat people; but not rats, monkeys or rabbits.Those born during this year will have a good 2014. Independence will bring luck and prosperity, but also health issues and accidents. Careers may suffer: good jobs are an athlete, teacher, technician, driver or politician. Don't be afraid of new ventures, but control emotion and think twice before marrying. A good year for having a baby.Horse YearsIf you were born during these dates, then you're a horse: 30/01/1930 to 16/02/1931, 15/02/1942 to 04/02/1843, 03/02/1954 to 23/01/1955, 21/01/1966 to 08/02/1967, 07/02/1978 to 27/01/1979, 27/01/1990 to 14/02/1991, 12/02/2002 to 21/01/2003Famous Horse PeopleBarbara Streisand, Clint Eastwood, Genghis Khan, Isaac Newton, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Rembrandt, Sean Connery and Teddy Roosevelt.Predictions2014 is posed to be very energetic with all feelings amplified. Many will change the energy around them bringing surprise to financial markets. March bears a highly volatile conjunction with Uranus by Mars and Aries. Keep cool and vigilant. This is a good year to travel: the further the better. There will also be the opportunity to develop spirituality.Under a horse year there is no middle ground with conflicts. Rising oil, food costs and extreme weather will bring protest. The US will prosper economically, but have continued gun trouble. Western Europe may struggle politically and economically, however, a leadership change in Southern Europe and the Middle East helps. The Far East and China continue to boom, and China will begin to innovate rather than copy, but will have problems with natural disasters.Professor Boyle of Cambridge University thinks a 'doomsday moment' will happen in 2014. He claims that during the last 500 years, a catastrophic international event occurred in the middle of the second decade of each century - and the present financial crisis could be a trigger. He fears the US with its military dominance and falling economic power. Saying "everything depends on whether America can react more imaginatively to decline than Britain did before 1914". Claiming "peace is only possible if the world realizes that an age of individual nations is over and a system of global governance is introduced".

moreless

A New Year For The Anxious Athlete And You

What a crazy year for me, I started The Anxious Athlete with the hopes of helping people through their anxiety which is now looking like an epidemic of some sorts. I still remember the day I walked out of my home after spending 31 days locked up due to my Agoraphobia, that was some day... I guess you could call it becoming enlightened? Or plain and simply bewilderment. I recognized that day that anxiety isn't something we must try and STOP necessarily, it's something that we truly must in fact experience. Those 10 scary steps I took up my stairs to freedom from my Agoraphobia I will never forget as my heart pounded harder than ever before, my lump in my throat sensation turning from a golf ball feeling stuck in my throat to a tennis ball, and my dizziness symptoms that normally accompanied my anxiety disorder letting me know more than ever that it was present. Every single part of my being SHOUTING at me to turn back, to get back to a safe place where I was comfortable... but for the first time in a very long time I refused. You can't really call what I was doing LIVING anyway, I was simply existing and being more of a burden for people that cared about me.As a young boy I had incredible tennis professional potential and was reminded of it by others daily, not only that I had this personality that others were easily attracted to and people wanted to be around me so they could feed off of my positive healthy energy. I had leadership qualities and I knew one day if I could just set my mind to something I could definitely be the best at it! But stories like this are everywhere, I'm not special by no means just a guy who was brave enough one day to look his fears in the eyes and ask it to do it's worst. You have a story like this as well I'm sure, you remember those days in the past when you dared to dream and experienced that dream in small doses don't you? Boy did that ever feel good I bet. The sheer adrenaline rush of swimming your first lap ever in a swimming pool, or your first singing audition where you stepped up and gave it everything you had and walked off the stage feeling like a winner, or the first time you taught someone something that changed that persons life forever.By refusing to go back into my safe zone which was my home I defied my fears, for many this kind of an accomplishment wouldn't be understood but pleasing others wasn't my number one priority at the time. Simply put "you can't help the poor by being one of them," and I knew that in order for me to create a lasting difference in someone else's life like I was destined to do from a young age... I had to be overcome my anxiety disorder naturally and become the leader I always knew I could be. That day changed my whole life, all I had to do for a split second was stop listening to my critical voice... and listen to the whispers of my true voice.If you want to make 2014 your greatest year until now, I want to challenge you to listen to your true voice and let that lead the way. Your critical voice will always be there in the background looking out for you and trying to keep you safe, but that doesn't mean you have to listen to it and take action through it right? Fear clearly distorts our true vision of what our lives can be, but my promise to you is if you can find it within yourself to take those first 10 steps just like I did on that one memorable day I had. I promise you that you will begin to create powerful momentum in the direction you have to go.

moreless