It’s the year of the Tiger. Every year, my parents read the newspaper on (what we call) Chinese New Year (though it is the Lunar New Year, and therefore the new year for most Asian cultures that follow the Lunar calendar). The paper is very informative about what is ‘lucky’ for the new year— what colors to wear (green, white, gray, gold), what to do (invest in a business, get married, pursue the career of your dreams) and what to avoid (cutting your nails in bed). For most of my life, this has simply been a way of life— it doesn’t hurt if you believe, and it’s okay if you don’t. What do we have to do for wealth, health, prosperity? We’d do anything, right?
Recently I’ve been engaging in a thought experiment.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
What would you do with five million dollars?
Most sources will tell you, the return on investment if you play the lottery $1 every day for a year is way lower than if you invested the same amount of money in stocks. But for reasons of human folly, our flaw called hope, we like the thrill, the odds, the idea of getting something for (not really) nothing. But play with me for a minute. What would you do if money were not an issue? These days, we can’t even say that $1 million would be a comfortable retirement. But let’s say you had $5 million after taxes. What would you do with your life?
Not having to make a living is something most of us cannot afford. But I like to think that the answer to that question points you in the direction of what your heart truly desires.
On this first day of the new year, I’m thinking about what I love. Drawing little cartoons, for example, makes me happy. They’re not sophisticated, but they’re mine. I think it’s strange that today, February 1st, the first day of my birthday month, is also Lunar New Year. Tomorrow, February 2nd, is our anniversary, and also Groundhog Day. Wednesday, February 3rd, is the end of the first Mercury retrograde of 2022. So, a lot is happening this week. Every few months or so, you get a week where everything happens at once. Do you ever feel that way?
I’m working on getting ‘Life in the Time of Coronavirus’ published. Until then, the drawings can be found on my Instagram, @flyingpenguins_forever.
Until next time, always go black tie!
*You can purchase an FP pin or keychain bottle opener from my new store!