Thought for the day August 15 2016

Thought for the day August 15 2016

They say that when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. It's a phrase trotted out on TV detective dramas. It probably makes sense to approach, with caution, the alibi statements of those suspected of grisly murders. But it makes a lot less sense if these words become an excuse to hide behind as we perennially watch opportunities go by untested. Of course, we must be careful not to sacrifice too much at the altar of fortune. But empires aren't built by sceptics. You are capable of the vision needed to triumph.

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How would you like someone to be? Do you need them to just act a little less like, well, them? Are you desperate to see someone stop repeating the same mistaken behaviour? Surely it must be obvious that they won't achieve anything by carrying on that way? Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to change someone, they seem ever more determined to remain the same. But it's important that we offer an alternative, rather than simply tear down an idea. Lead by example today. Prove that a better way is possible.

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Even when we try to lead the most stable and consistent of lives, we find ourselves subject to the forces of flux. Things change, situations alter, people reach their tipping points - and that's not just, 'other people'. There are times when you are capable of more, times when your insights are sharper, moments when your talents really shine through. With your ruler only just having turned direct at the weekend, you are now living through such a moment. Don't assume that the 'impossible' must remain so forever.

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Imagine how Luke Skywalker felt the moment he discovered Darth Vader was his father? Or how the world of Charlton Heston's astronaut spun as he stood in front of a decaying Statue of Liberty. Truth, revealed in such dramatic ways, is revelatory. It throws into doubt certainties we hold dear. But don't worry, I'm not questioning your paternity, nor predicting your capture by super-apes! You are, though, learning something about yourself. Dispel a myth that's had you fooled, then you can trust again in your own authority.

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The past weekend's aspects between Venus and Neptune, and Saturn turning direct urge you to consider matters of loyalty and commitment. Is there a danger of giving too much to something or someone? Might you be starting to care so deeply that you cannot see clearly? Through a misplaced sense of honour, are you letting go of something that you ought to hang on to? It may be that very little needs to change. It may be that a lot cries out to be altered. Be open enough to ask the question and the answer will reveal itself soon.

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Some people act with supreme confidence. They think bluff and bluster amounts to competence. They believe that any action is better than no action; that indecisiveness is weak; that thorough deliberation only causes confusion. Surely most of us have wised up to characters of this kind? Isn't it time to re-examine their 'never apologise, never explain' philosophy? It does, after all, end in turmoil. We owe ourselves truth, as well as the rest of the world. Don't let admitting you don't have all the answers make you feel insecure today.

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In Homer's Odyssey there's an encounter with the mythical sirens - beautiful but deadly creatures whose bewitching songs were irresistible. They preyed upon the souls of the men who rowed by, their music luring them to crash into the rocks. Odysseus ordered his crew to stuff their ears with wax and tie him to the mast; thus he experienced their wonder and lived to tell the tale. You may have been enchanted by something or someone recently, but be careful which direction this pulls you in. At least put on your seatbelt!

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The first vessel to reach the very bottom of the Earth's deepest ocean was the bathyscape Trieste. Designed by his Aquarian father it was crewed by Jacques Piccard, a Leo, and navy officer Don Walsh. After a four-hour dive, 35,000 feet down, their landing stirred up so much sediment that the ocean was like 'a bowl of milk.' If only they'd stuck around long enough for the water to clear! You're now reaching deep into the bravest part of your heart. Soon the Sun trines Uranus. Withstand the pressure. Be patient.

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There's a difference between something being hard and something being difficult. Hard work is not necessarily difficult work. Hard work implies effort and most of us are capable of this when motivated. Difficult work implies something else. It denotes that skill is required, that obstacles are to be navigated, that it is intellectually and emotionally taxing. You're not afraid of hard work but it'd be nice if things weren't quite so difficult! Yet you'll soon find that what once seemed difficult becomes second nature.

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Shall we talk about the things you really must do? I know you already have such a list but you appear to have omitted several items. I'm sure this is only an oversight, but I must remind you of your commitments. You wouldn't want to let anyone down now, would you? Actually, it's not fair of me to exploit your sense of guilt any more than it is fair for a certain person to lean too hard on you now. The lessons from the weekend's Saturnian change in direction involve shedding the burden of a false responsibility.

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Generosity is supposedly its own reward. Yet if that were true there would be no need for tax breaks on charity donations, no self-titled philanthropic organisations founded by celebrities, no plaques upon even the humblest park bench. Reputation, pride, loyalty and conscience all benefit from benevolence. Lately, and for too long, you may have felt that you've been allowing yourself to be taken advantage of. But the alliance this has built, and the image it has cultivated, is about to prove its worth.