If can, can. If no can, no can.

One of those great Hawaiian sayings that pop in my head once in a while. I hear it coming from a surfer dude hanging out by his van, scoping the waves. His tone is laid back and matter of fact finishing with a smile like he's got no worry in the world. It also reminds me of the Serenity Prayer adopted from AA, "God give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference." 

But for today, I'm going with the Hawaiian words. I like the simplicity and encouragement of  "If can, can." And I love the peacefulness of "If no can, no can." It allows me to let go of those things are not and can't be, and inspires me to go forward rather than dwell. 

Happy New Year

It's funny, I've celebrated New Year's three times this year: Jan 1, New Year's Day, Jan 8 the year's first new moon, and today Chinese New Year and another new moon. It must mean the third one is a charm, I'm finally writing for Dig the Flow.

When I learned of the second new moon, I was in a morning yoga class. The yoga teacher explained that it was a very auspicious day, being the first moon of this new calendar year. She said it would be a good day to set our intentions for the year. So I went home and wanted to spread the word to all of my friends. I wanted them to know that if they'd missed making new year's resolutions for Jan. 1, there was another opportunity–maybe an even better one. 

I tried to explain this to my 5 year-old son. What is a New Year's resolution: setting a goal for yourself that helps make life better. He replied, "Oh I know what I'd like, I want everyday to be just like my birthday."  And I nodded and then really thought about it, what if I felt like it was my birthday everyday? Genius.