What comes to your mind when we think about the new year?
Resolutions? Ambitions and goals? A new path forward?
Or revisiting a familiar path in order to discover new perspectives and ideas?
Whatever may be the reason(s) with which we decide to move forward into the new year, we are still allowed to blend in and move about just like the tiger moves in its environment.
A lot of people tend to focus on this year as a fiery one due to this particular animal associated with the year. The tiger is fearsome, strong, powerful, and respected for all its natural talents, abilities, and sheer presence.
It is a good thing to feel emboldened by its spirit and symbol as you move into the dreams and paths you want to seek out and pursue this year.
But though the year is one of impassioned effort and movement, don't forget to allow yourself time to resettle, gather your thoughts, and "prey" your targets when necessary.
Tigers, like any animal, can be patient and assess situations when they are confronted with them. It is good to be passionate and excited, but you can also temper that inner strength and your outward power. Outward power in this context isn't stepping on others or cutting your way through others just to be at the top, but realizing and honing in on your self-awareness.
Awareness of your reasons why you act and keeping focus of yourself as you move through the year are important tools to remember. We often look at just having to explode out of the gate as the only option to make drastic changes in our lives, but not every soul (or tiger in this case) has to be so combustive just to move forward. We are who we are, where we are.
Tongue-twister, right?
We all start off where we are right now. The changes we seek in the year pertain to our personal reasons from where we start. Not everyone is the same in how they move out of the gate. Tigers are solitary as much as they are seen as a leadership symbol for authority, admiration, majesty, and respect.
The individual tiger, much like the individual person, moves and acts on its own accord. We all aren't all the same in dreams and paths alike. We move forward where we can and know that we will make it step by step.
Tigers know how to go about their environment where they are. People see where they are and know what they want to change. That is where self-awareness comes in.
When we reflect on our actions is when we know more about ourselves. We see what movements we made, what is needed to be done to finish, and where we stand right now in the present. Being self-aware helps us keep focus on the conscious actions we take and why we take them. It helps us with the bigger picture as well as the day-to-day actions.
Are the actions taken coming from a place of greed? From a place of lack? Out of spite or envy? Revenge? Jealousy? Hate? Why did we do it? What did we gain? What did we lose?
That is where self-awareness gives us perspective and insight into our choices. We have the ability to reach towards our destinations, but how often is self-awareness given priority as well as inner strength?
The year of the Tiger is a year to go about making changes for whatever we want to see accomplished. Those changes look different from person to person. There is no race or medal to be awarded in the comparison game. You take action where you can and know where you want to end up.
Not every person has to be like a fiery tiger just to act. You can still harness the energy of this year and make the changes you want without having to always use your claws in order to do so. Your inner strength and self-awareness will carry you through. Wisdom in knowing when to be still and when to act is important no matter what year.
Just move forward at a pace. Movement is just that, movement. You will know what is important for you to achieve in the end. You will know what you set out to do and how far. Whether it be short term or long term, it is still distance accomplished.
The year of the tiger is just that, stepping forward and making our own presence known in the world. Whether it be with the outer world or with our inner world, the tiger is within us all.
Enjoy your travels wherever your own tiger spirit takes you.
Happy New Year 2022.
-Jacob Moore
Cover photo credited: https://unsplash.com/@donnieraycrisp