A few more weeks left in 2015. I can't believe we've gotten here so quickly. The years seem to flash by. In the last few blog posts I've only been able to update annually and it's always in reflection of the year. Let's keep with tradition and look back on the 2015 horoscope: 

The year of the Goat starts on 19th February 2015 and is looking to be a mixed year for the Monkey. Certain areas of the Monkeys life will be very good where certain areas will require so care and attention so please do read on for more. Luckily, the Monkey is very smart and intuitive and with a bit of care and planning, they should be able to avoid a lot of problems in the year of the Goat and make the best out of a bad situation.

I'd like to think I did dodge a few bullets this year. I did notice that every time I was near people with negative energy it seemed to suck the life out of me. I learned a new term, "emotional vampire". They are these people who like to suck the emotions out of you and sadly I came across a few of them in 2015. Funny thing is, as soon as the year of the Goat started I immediately let a so-called "friend" go. It surprised me because I was very close to this person in a short period of time and even at one point felt as though they were my best friend. Some of my old friends questioned my friendship with this person and I knew that this person needed some work but I thought they would outgrow it. In any case, the person was draining my energy, my emotions and my sanity. I didn't want to keep this person as a friend because I felt like all this negativity was weighing me down and I didn't want to be brought down because so many other aspects of my life were doing so well. 

The Monkeys career prospects are looking very good this year and there will be opportunities for the Monkey to showcase their talents during the year of the Goat and gain the respect of their peers through tasks and projects being given to them so do not shy away from extra responsibilities this year. For Monkeys looking for a different position or those looking for work in general, the year of the Goat can bring some fantastic opportunities and by making inquiries and taking on a positive attitude to finding work could bring some great opportunities in to the Monkeys career life this year which could turn out to be long standing and very rewarding.

The key phrase in the previous paragraph is "positive attitude". In hindsight, if I hadn't let go of some of the negative people in my life I wouldn't have been able to maintain my positive attitude. Despite the many challenges I did face, many things did work in my favor. I remained professional. I maintained my composure. I assured I spoke to people about my feelings and my concerns. I made sure that I focused on the good of the business not on what I go out of it. I learned a lot about others and myself. In terms of my expectations of others, that's another story. This was by far one of the most challenging years in my life albeit successful. 

Finances are going to need quite a lot of care and attention in 2015. Care and strict control will need to be applied to finances this year so please be sure to keep a close eye on spending and avoid any major outgoings without speaking to a professional first and always check the Tong Shu Almanac for the best dates for big purchases. When signing documents or paperwork, please always remember to read through thoroughly and always read the small print as missing out on fine print may lead to later problems. Although finances are not looking great for the Monkey in the year of the Goat, travel can be a very rewarding aspect of the Monkeys life and some money should be set aside for this if possible; the Monkey can benefit from researching deals and offers before committing their money to a holiday. A good way to make the most of travel is with friends or loved ones; the journey does not have to be across the world as a trip in the same country can still greatly benefit the Monkey this year. The Monkeys talents and hobbies can serve them well this year as they can enjoy spending time on what makes them happy which will also provide time out to relax and enjoy time on their own or with others. The year of the Goat favours creativity and by making the most of talents, the Monkey could find a way to use this to bring in extra funding. 

I am probably considered a fanatic about finances and budgeting. This paragraph sort of surprised me because I thought that was a common trait of Monkeys or is it a Capricorn thing? Unsure. What I will say is that I've been blessed and fortunate to have been able to travel internationally this year. And a second time in a few weeks! 

Another area that will require care in 2015 is health and the Monkey would benefit from dedicating time to keep a relatively healthy diet and get some exercise to stay active; while this may not be the best year for financial investments, the Monkey should invest in their health and wellbeing. The Monkey will have a busy social calendar throughout the year of the Goat but they will need to be careful to avoid arguments and disagreements this year as a small disagreement could soon turn in to something much bigger; this goes for all aspects of the Monkeys life including work, love life and more. The Monkey will have many good times with friends, family and loved ones throughout the year so it’s not all bad news. The Monkeys home life should be busy this year and as I said above, they will need to take care not to upset others and try to avoid arguments and disagreements and the best solution is to talk through them so try to take a deep breath in moments of anger and try to resolve problems before they become serious. Travel can be very beneficial for the Monkey this year and especially so with family. Overall, the year of the Goat will require some care in certain areas of the Monkeys life although there will also be some particularly good parts of the Monkeys life that will counterbalance this. The Monkey should be able to overcome a lot of problems this year although please be careful with finances this year as this will require some care and attention. Have a fantastic year of the Goat. 

This final paragraph scares me a bit and I think I will spend less than I intend on this trip. Having a hefty buffer is always good practice. As far as disagreements and arguments. I did have a colleague that I did not get on well with. This person was very nice but not always agreeable. They were very stubborn and set in their ways. It did not seem to me that they were willing to work hard in their role. They seemed to be the type of person that was complacent and did not want to work harder than they though they needed to. I feel that when you're new to a company you should work hard to gain your colleagues trust and respect. This person did not seem to agree with that work ethic. They demanded respect from the start and they never proved themselves during their tenure. I tried my best to avoid conflict with this person. I kept my judgements to myself and allowed others to figure it out on their own. In the end the person saw themselves out. I did not think much in terms of their skills. They were very basic and did not seem to care about anything aside themselves. I'm glad having survived that experience because it was difficult for a Monkey like me to keep my mouth shut. Glad things worked out for the best. 

After reading this fortune I realize that it was definitely a tough year. Out of all the negative rubble so much good came out of it. I always try to see the positive and smile at having survived through so much negative. 

Good bye 2015. Happy to look forward to 2016.