2/1/2016

Today's Horoscope

All signs:

Today you will probably short change yourself without even thinking about it. We all do it, time and time again, and there's no reason for it. We constantly sell ourselves short in so many ways. Some are obvious. We catch ourselves doubting our decisions or mentally berating ourselves or feeling guilty about things beyond our control, and we know it's not right. So many of us have somehow been conditioned to keep our pride in check, like it's a bad thing. When you spend your life feeling bad because you feel good about who you are and what you accomplish, it's a sad, sad thing. Yet we all do it.

The things that create this mindset in us are everywhere, from our parents(well meaning or not), hidden in the tenets of religion or social mores, or just because we think being humble is more important or noble than crediting ourselves with our achievements.

Even when we do credit ourselves, it often comes with a caveat. It's weird that there is always an insidious way to describe something positive that diminishes what we accomplish. "Small victory"  is a great example of this. Why quantify the extent of everything, usually to our derision? A victory is a victory, end of story.

Delineating our victories by what we think they are worth cheats us by making the thing that should give us power seem somehow less significant than what it was. This in turn makes us feel insignificant, and that is just cruel. It holds us all back, from feeling good, from getting the love and respect we deserve, from being the best we can be. It holds its back as individuals, and thus holds back the whole human race. It stunts our growth, it dulls our emotions, it disillusions us and gives us the excuses we need to not try so hard.

It wears us down.

The stars came to realize long ago that they all play an important part, even the ones you can't see. They are still out there, warping time and space to keep the delicate balance of the universe humming along. They take pride in all they do, as they should. And you know what? It makes them shine. It also makes them explode, and go supernova or collapse into a black hole.

But even then they are proud, because that moment of destruction is the start of great creation and the beginning of new galaxies and solar systems. We would not be here now if it weren't for the fact that some star blew up and scattered dust and atoms throughout the universe billions of years ago.

That was no screw up. That was a victory for all of us, and there was nothing small about it.

Taurus

Could you be a little quieter in the morning? Some of us are still sleeping. Stop slamming the cabinet doors when you make coffee.