As we welcome the Year of the Dragon in a few days, Feng Shui experts foresee the next two decades as a period of good fortune and positive developments especially in the areas of technology, art and design. We worked with Feng Shui master Thierry Chow from Hong Kong to share how you can make the most of WhatsApp features to have an abundant, productive and safe year ahead.
Rat – People born in the Year of the Rat are likely to have a packed social calendar, providing them plenty of opportunities to connect with friends, both old and new. Stay in touch with loved ones through quick video messages even if you can’t be everywhere at once. They’re as easy as sending voice notes and lend a personal touch to your chats. Love is in the air, and you might just meet your special someone. Impress them with these formatting tricks to show off your expressive personality.
Ox – After a relatively quiet year, Oxes may face a challenging year ahead. Being prudent and present will help you navigate tricky situations. While WhatsApp safeguards all your conversations with end-to-end encryption, you should report and block suspicious messages to keep trouble at bay. Secure your most private chats with chat lock where you can create a unique password to safeguard those conversations. You could be surprised by old friends who will remind you how absence makes the heart grow fonder. Remember you can share photos in HD now and to stay in touch even if you have to part again.
Tiger – This is an exciting year for the Tiger to embrace new experiences, pursue passion projects and let go of things that no longer serve you. Start a Channel to share your new passion point, or even a Community if you want to start organising groups to be part of your experience. Don’t forget to spend quality time with your loved ones and be mindful of misunderstandings and conflicts. Remember to use edit messages if you need to correct yourself and create stickers from your photos to keep things light.
Rabbit – The sun is out and shining on the Rabbit after a turbulent year. Take this time to reevaluate your priorities and bask in the new glow of positivity that will surround you. To maintain your Zen, you may choose to mute some noisy groups or even leave groups that no longer serve you (don’t worry, only admins will see that you’ve left). As thoughts about your fresh start come to you, remember you can write notes as messages to yourself whenever inspiration hits.
Dragon – Get ready for the spotlight, Dragons! Your dynamic personality will really shine this year. Celebrate all things large and small to load up on all that positive energy. Using Status, you can share photos, videos and even voice notes to your close network that will disappear in 24 hours. You can even share your WhatsApp status to Facebook Stories to spread the joy. The year will bring abundant opportunities for personal growth and learning. It will do you good to communicate more with family and friends. To widen your perspective, download the WhatsApp desktop app so you can stay chatty all day.
Snake – Change is the only constant for you this year. You will do well to keep yourself open to new ideas, but if it gets too chaotic, remember that you can pin important messages or chats to help you stay on top of things. Leverage your network of close family and friends to seek counsel as you move through a year of transition. Not sure which gym is right for you? Get a quick response from your friends by setting up a poll – now with new updates like instant notifications and single vote polls.
Horse – Prepare yourself for a busy year of positive shifts and travel with opportunities in career and your love life. Give yourself the space to travel more, move homes or set up a new environment for yourself. Remember to enjoy the ride. While you’re on the go, remember you can still stay productive through WhatsApp video calls especially with the new ability to share screens too. If this wave of change also involves changing your mobile device, here’s a guide on how to do this without breaking a sweat.
Goat – Goats should prioritise their health and well-being in the new year. Take some time for self-reflection and treat yourself. You can choose to silence unknown callers on WhatsApp and even block unwanted contacts to protect your personal space. Take care of your closest relationships and nurture those who add to your wellbeing. Group chats are a convenient and safe space to interact with those closest to you, and with added admin features, you now have more control over who you allow into these chats.
Monkey – Fortune favours you in the new year, Monkey! As you witness positive developments in your family, career and friendships, spread the cheer with your loved ones by creating fun stickers and avatars to liven up chats with your creative spirit. Appreciate all the good things in life and share them through videos and HD photos as you sail through a very positive year.
Rooster – After a turbulent year, Roosters will be surrounded by much love this year through positive encounters with people you meet. Harness the best of this energy spontaneously through voice chats on WhatsApp. Voice chats allow you to instantly talk live with members of a group chat while still being able to message in the group. Once you start the voice chat, group members will receive a push notification to join. You can see who has joined the voice chat in a banner on the bottom of the screen.
Dog – As the Dog enters a period of fluctuations, protect what’s important to you. On top of being end-to-end encrypted by default, WhatsApp has added new layers of security including account protection and device verification. Activate two-step verification and end-to-end encrypted backup to keep your chats safe. Not all is bleak as this year also marks an opportunity to explore new territories and meet new people. Gather as much positive energy as you can and even if you’re not feeling so great, sharing a reaction can sometimes give you the little perk you need.
Pig – The new year calls for the Pig to step outside their comfort zone and revisit work priorities. If you’ve been feeling a little stagnant with work and life, this is the year to evaluate your choices and take steps that will give you that boost you’ve been looking for. If you’ve been itching to start your own business, try out the WhatsApp Business App. It’s a free tool designed for small businesses and comes loaded with features to showcase products and manage chats with your customers with ease.
Based in Hong Kong, Thierry Chow is on a mission to demystify and modernize feng shui for a new generation. Having apprenticed with her father, Chow Hon Ming, one of Asia’s most respected feng shui masters, Thierry founded Go Lucky, a modern feng shui concept that uses tradition and logical interpretation to make feng shui accessible and easy to understand for all.
Her unique take on feng shui has her featured across major global publications and television programmes including LA Times, CNN, Vogue and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.
Instagram: @thierrychow
WhatsApp Channel: Thierry Chow
