Morning signs

It was like a morning ritual: breakfast, coffee and the daily reading of her horoscope. She didn’t necessarily believe everything she read, but somehow she felt it offered a glimpse of what her day would be like.

Cecilia was a busy woman. Entrepreneur, with her own business since a young age, with diplomas and degrees, she delivered seminars and was a powerful figure in an industry dominated by the opposite sex. Yet, she was great with interpersonal relations, managed to network fast and easily with others, made friends or acquaintances easily, and was greatly popular in the romantic aspect of life too. But she placed the bar too high for the people too close to her. She held high expectations for who she became intimate with, who she shared her dreams, plans and sentiments with, and most of all, to whom she devoted her time and energy.

People often asked her why such a dynamic person as herself believed so much in horoscopes and zodiac signs.

There was no real answer to this. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your social status is. We all need some form of clarity about the uncertainty that dominates our lives.

Indeed, like many articles on the matter note, “astrology may not give definite answers, but providing meaningful explanations of ambiguous or confusing situations can increase an individual’s sense of control over them… It can also provide reassurance about the future, bringing people great comfort and reducing their feelings of distress”.

We all seek something to help us alleviate the stress we feel on a daily basis. Something to explain why things turn out the way they do – a Mercury in retrospect; the planets misaligned; an ascending Jupiter.

Astrology tends to help people deal with negative events in their lives, precisely because it seemingly offers a prediction or reasoning for life’s events. “A number of studies have demonstrated that people are more likely to turn to astrology when they are experiencing personal crises or facing stresses in life, attesting to its benefits in minimizing tension and worry during difficult situations”.

But there is also something more: “Studies show that astrology can greatly influence and even validate a person’s self-concept, as well as increase their certainty about their personal attributes. In short, the ruminative nature of astrology encourages self-reflection, enabling individuals to understand themselves and their environment more clearly”. If we need zodiac signs to gain a greater sense of who we are, believe in ourselves more and become more confident about our own characteristics, then perhaps we should all be aware of what our horoscopes say. We just need to remember that, regardless, we are the ones who forge our path in life.

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Signs of life

©Brenda Cox

Things have changed. For everyone. But why does it all seem so depressing?

They were walking through the deserted streets. There was no sign of life. Actually, there was no evidence of activity of any sort. And that was the most saddening of all.

Are you still alive if you don’t showcase it? Are you still living if you show no signs of what you’re doing to anyone?

What makes a life? What you do; what you get out of it; or how it makes you feel?

Communicate regardless. Someone thinks you’re more special than you give yourself credit for.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

Train to change

©Sandra Crook

The train had just pulled into the station and she could already feel the change.

Her tears had now dried up and she was ready – determined really – to start anew. Here, in this picturesque town in the middle of nowhere, she could be whomever she wanted. No-one knew her here. She could begin her life over.

She stepped out of the wagon and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

She didn’t notice him standing at the door of the station.

But to him she was a flash of light, that sign that life was about to get exciting.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

The signs we choose not to see

In everyday life we are surrounded by all sorts of signs. Not only literally, but metaphorically too. In most life-changing decisions we take, we unconsciously look for signs to reveal to us we are on the right path, or to help us choose which route to take, what move to make.

However, no matter how many signs are thrown our way, we usually only see what we want to see. Often we ignore even the warning signs that things are not going well, the ones that serve as precautions, as awakenings trying to draw our attention to something, calling us to change.

We choose to ignore the signs that try to help us because we don’t want to see them at that moment. We want to believe in something different and we refuse to accept that sometimes things don’t always turn out the way we hoped or planned.

That is until one sign hits us hard like a slap in the face and we are forced to see what we’ve been pushing aside for so long. It’s a sign we can no longer ignore, revealing that a cycle has been closed and we need to find the courage to close the door to it and move on.

 It’s only when we’re ready to see the signs that we accept their presence. We just have to be brave enough to let them guide us, but not dictate our next moves.

In search of treasures

Santiago was in search of a treasure. Like all people, he was trying to find his place in this world. He read a lot and tried to travel even more. He longed to find where he belonged and what his purpose was. He was certain he had something exceptional to do.

But not every treasure is silver and gold. It took him a while to realise it.

For after travelling for years alone through sun, rain and snow, in lands that where not so welcoming, meeting all sorts of persons and seeing things he never even dreamt of, all he finally looked forward to was returning home. To a home that would be surrounded by the person who had stolen his heart from the very first time they set eyes on each other. Because life has a strange way of sending us signs for things that should happen. Falling in love is one of the strongest ones. And if you’re strong enough to fight for it, you are bound to find something amazing.

Santiago acknowledged after years of searching that his treasure was not material things. It was the knowledge and experience he had accumulated during his travels. It was the way his mind opened up and his spirit liberated. It was the push he felt inside him to constantly evolve, to want to become better for himself and those around him. It was the urge to become the exceptional person he believed he could be.

Treasures are first and foremost located in our hearts. We just need to first open our minds and souls to realise it.

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Exceptional

The writing on the wall

Caterina looked at the clock on the wall. She was sitting in the waiting room for forty minutes already. But this was normal given the occasion. It was a very popular office and urgent things kept popping up. After all, it wasn’t easy to see a Minister.

The waiting room was reminiscent in name to lobbies of medical practitioners. But the atmosphere was very different. The couches were brown leather, but of the “professional” sort, that don’t make noises when you slide across them, and don’t sink as you fall into them. The walls were painted a soft yellow colour that reminded dreamers of the pale colour of sunrise in autumn. And right across the main couch was a framed canvas that read “Good things come to those who wait”. It was a fitting advice, but was it true?

Caterina worked as a press officer for a non-governmental organization that closely cooperated with the Minister. She had booked the meeting a couple of weeks in advance and had everything prepared for today. But now, all she could do was wait. And as she waited, her mind drifted. She stared at the writing on the canvas, noticed how the light colours and the curves made the whole painting seem so much more optimistic, and how it actually managed to transmit that positive perspective to the viewer. But Caterina could not shake off that feeling she had lately – that she was alone. No matter the many people who encircled her during the day, she would always return to a home where she would be alone. She missed having someone to share her life with, and her mind (and dreams) were constantly fixed on this thought, or rather, grievance.

That was until today. Because today, sitting right under that prophetic painting was Johnnie. Johnnie was a government aide. He was perfect for the job because he was a “people’s person”. He was extrovert and always knew what to say; he could start a conversation out of nowhere, and had a way of making everyone crack a smile. And, according to Caterina, he himself possessed the most engaging smile she had seen in a while. When her eyes fell on him, he smiled widely and winked. Caterina blushed, smiled, and turned her eyes to the floor. Every woman loves being flirted with, but it is the ones who dare to make a further move that usually win their hearts.

Johnnie was one of those guys.

He got up and transferred himself to Caterina’s couch. “In the next minute, I will have been here for an hour. And you?” he inquired. “Fifty minutes,” she responded a bit embarrassed.

“Seems I’m winning this one,” he joked. She laughed. And he smiled so that his eyes gleamed. Men love to make women laugh, especially if it reveals a spark in her eyes.

Caterina was one of those girls.

That was the day they both realized that sometimes, the good things come when you least expect them, as long as you are open to seeing them and seize the opportunity that arises. In the end, it doesn’t really matter how long you wait, if what you find truly compensates the waiting time.

Also part of Daily Prompt: Waiting Room