Here are some thoughts about the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rooster, which we've just moved into. Let's see, the rooster is a somewhat vain bird, preoccupied with trifles. He's focused on his appearance, requires lots of admirers, and enjoys making loud, annoying sounds at a god-awful time in the morning.

By extension, a Rooster Year can be a time when we become caught up in silly stuff, focusing on how we look, getting obsessed with fashion trends, and/or worrying about inconsequential matters. Given the current global climate and all the stress that confronts us on all sides, we may turn to such things as a welcome escape from more serious matters like tsnunamis, nuclear threats, and war games being played out. We all need a break once in a while.

After the political race occupying so much of our focus in 2004, 2005 will be a time when we want to focus on other stuff. We DO need a little fun, so there could be certain movies that everyone gets excited about, celebrity scandals which occupy WAY too much of our attention (Brad and Jennifer, anyone?) and minor cultural trends that surface on our mental radar for much of the year.

During a Rooster Year, people tend to be more focused on themselves instead of the good of others. So the negative side of Rooster can be narcissim at its worst and selfishness that is pretty vulgar.

The positive side of Rooster is its glamour, its poise, its refreshingly positive opinion about itself. There's nothing wrong with feeling good about who you are and celebrating all the great things that you have become. That's energy we could all make greater use of in our lives.

The important thing is to find balance. If you're so obsessed with your breast size, your sexual performance, or your dress size that you can think of little else, well, you probably need a smack in the head. Or two.

But if you use the energy of the Rooster Year to build your confidence in all the right ways, branching out with projects and dreams that are dying to be fulfilled, then that's A-Okay.

The Rooster energy will be inspiring us to make adjustments in our attitude and our physical and emotional posture so that we hold our heads up strong and dare to flaunt the best parts of ourselves.

We ALL have reasons to be proud of who we are, DDD cup or not. And the Rooster Year will be encouraging us to set aside any road weariness from the travails of last year and step into joyful feelings of confidence and self-assurance again.

So what are you waiting for, girlfriend?

If you've got it, FLAUNT IT.

And if you don't got it, you at least got SOMETHING. So flaunt THAT.