Thought for the day August 10/2016

There are times when ambition gets in the way of achievement. Like a gambler at the blackjack table with 18 on the cards, a little voice inside may compel a twist in search of 21, when all that's needed is to hold with 18 and watch the bank fold. There's more that you can be proud of than you realise. Of course there's always more work to do, but sometimes it's good to recognise that, although the journey may not be over, you've come a long way! Don't be too eager to twist today. Sticking may prove just as effective


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You don't want to win the lottery. What you want is the sense of exhilaration that accompanies it - and the economic empowerment that might also ensue! The exhilaration you can grant yourself, just by stopping to recognise how fortunate you already are just to be alive on this wonderful planet. As for the financial relief? Well, untold millions may not suddenly appear, but a valuable realisation is due. As Mercury trines Pluto, know that a situation you've been worrying about is not as bad as you fear!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Give today's tricky issue an opportunity and it'll gladly seize the chance to make you feel aggravated and aggrieved. Yet, because the issue itself has no such agenda, it's something within you that takes the excuse for a grump and grouch. Which raises the question: how come you have such a facet to your character? Indeed how come do any of us? Might it be that most of our issues stem from the fact that we can feel that way too easily? As Mercury in your opposite sign trines Pluto today, break the cycle. Just trust!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hard work and success have a fruitful relationship. They don't always go hand in hand: sometimes success arrives unexpectedly at the party, and we may often see a lot more of hard work while success graces another soiree. But even when they're apart they're pining for one another. You may feel as if you've been seeing far more of one than the other. And, with the greatest respect to hard work, that's not the one you want to be stuck with. Today, you can help these two spot each other across the dance floor.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is an ugly, sexist expression in the UK that describes certain people as 'the thinking man's crumpet'. It describes successful, attractive women who are highly intelligent. No one, regardless of gender, should have their achievements acknowledged in relation to their physical appeal. But the phrase does suggest a truth: to feel fulfilled we all need intellectual as well as emotional and physical stimulation. Today, you're heading towards a realisation that, with just a simple change in attitude, you can realise all of these qualities.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The week's astrological events speak of your power and potential. It's as if the heavens urge you to rethink who you are and of what you're capable. During Saturn's retrogradation in your sign, you may have sold yourself short and compromised in ways you would normally avoid. You may have even have let someone intimidate you undeservedly. It doesn't have to be that way. Might you encounter tension as you stand up for yourself? Perhaps, but Mercury and Pluto's trine suggests no harm will come from this


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wile E. Coyote isn't the idiot he's made out to be. There's much to admire in his endeavours to catch Road Runner. Firstly there is persistence - he couldn't be accused of failure through lack of trying! Secondly there's planning. Whilst some of his schemes were half-baked, many were works of mechanical and visionary genius. His undoing was his timing: springing into action a moment too late and ending up on the wrong side of his own plans. Today, though your plans may go awry, there will be unexpected moments of fun.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Who are the real superheroes? Whose incredible actions should we be in awe of? Never mind the imaginary crusaders with gravity-defying powers. What about the hard-working, dutiful souls who toil each day to do their jobs as well as they humanly can, who put up with sorry situations because their urge to do their best is greater than the desire to rise to spectacular heights? Today you can be your own hero. That deserved success and recognition can be found within the task you're already engaged in.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the second world war, in anticipation of a land invasion, many rural towns set about confusing the enemy. Signposts were repainted and pointed the wrong way, and people refused to give strangers directions, just in case they were spies. It may well feel now as if you're on a country road, near a British coastal town, in the 1940s. Everyone else knows where they're going. They're polite to you but for they can't help you get where you need to be. You're about to see a landmark that reveals what you need to know.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Worry and concern are a part of everyone's lives. Even the most happy-go-lucky individual will experience self-doubt. The key to a happier existence is not to eliminate these feelings - they're evidence of how deeply we care about a situation or person - but to manage our response to them. Concerns will always be close, buzzing around with venomous stingers. But they're only present due to the abundance of flowers in the field of your life. Today, just lie still among the blooms; you'll be able to watch your worries fly past.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is it that fascinates us so much about other people? Is the deep-seated desire to explore the inner workings of others purely hormonal? It's not solely intellectual, for if it were, surely we wouldn't be so upset when being shocked, or delighted when feeling affirmed, or fearful when confronted with darkness. You find someone intriguing and are keen to investigate their mystique. Magnifying glass in hand, you're tempted to sleuth away like a 'Sherlock of the heart'. Be you alarmed or charmed, embrace the knowledge you find.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Think of our greatest orators. How many have a speedy delivery when making important speeches? How many talk so quickly that you can barely keep up? Very few. There's a website that has transcribed many of the most important speeches made in the last hundred years. But what the text doesn't convey is the power imparted in the delivery. Pacing: knowing when to slow down and pause adds nuance to a message. If you want your ideas to make an impact today, simply by adding 'wait', you can add weight.