Within the Chinese lunar calendar, a brand new 12 year cycle has begun today, with the celebration of New Year (7th Feb 2008). Expect to see a renewed surge of trades and strong moves from China this year.
The Year of the Rat is considered very auspicious for wealth, shrewd business dealings, love, family and general prosperity.

Whether merely due to placebo effect or common consciousness; for a culture steeped in (what we deem to be) superstition, the sheer volume of subconscious belief is predicted to have groundswell effect on an already burgeoning economy, as more risks and new business have been awaiting the turn into the new cycle.

If ever there was a nation that embodied endurance, it has to be the China, whose people have no fear of 100 year + plans. Those that stretch far beyond individual lives. And it appears that their strategy has worked, with the unstoppable exponential capacity to increasingly dominate the world on their terms; all without a war. Clearly they were reading their Sun Tzu.

In honour of Chinese culture, and this month’s theme of endurance, I’d love to share one of my favourite fairytales (as retold by Chin Ning Chu)

In the North Sea of China, the legend says, “there is a fish called Kun which is thousands of metres long. This great fish evolves into a bird called Pung. Pung also measures thousands of metres long. Swooping as he flies, his wings expand like the clouds covering the sky, Pung flies over the great sea southward to his destination: the Celestial Pool.

“The great Pung flies toward the South Sea, beating the water with his majestic wings for over three thousand kilometres; but first he spins the wind into a tornado that rises to a height of ninety thousand kilometres. It takes six months to reach such a height; only then is the Pung bird ready.

Now with the Pung’s back against the pure blue sky and nothing blocking it, the Pung can set upon his course southward with no obstacles. How can one compare such magnitude with the morning mists, the dust, or the insignificant creatures?

If the water is not deep, it cannot support a large ship; but empty a cup of water on the shallow floor, and a straw can float like a boat. If you place a cup there, it will sink. In the same way, if the wind is not sufficient, it cannot support huge wings. Only at a height of ninety thousand kilometres is there enough space to support the Pung. So the Pung can finally begin his great journey.”

So it is with many who are here to do great works.
Keep going. Never surrender (thank you Mr Churchill)

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison, a master of success through unwavering endurance.

Wherever you need it in your life right now, and we all need the formidable fuel of tenacity in some aspect of our lives.. I wish you the strength of staying power. And perhaps a little re.New Year’s (and fresh 12year cycle of new energy) wish. Just maybe the Chinese aren’t wrong about this one.

PS. this pic is from New Year here in Cape Town 01.01.08 the first sunrise at the tip of Africa.. the story of Pung blazed into life for me again. May it pop into your head when you most need it too.
Never surrender.

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this post is part of the monthly theme on Endurance
found here on Hunter of Genius & beyond.