If it’s your birthday

Keep an open mind. We always hear this, and most of us think we do it all the time — which is a trap. You will need to make a special effort to be circumspect, which means listening carefully to everything you don’t agree with. And knowing what you don’t know. That is the mark of true intelligence, and once you connect with that, you will be unstoppable. You share a birthday with Carol Leifer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maya Rudolph. AUG. 23-SEPT. 22 Your fears contain energy, and they contain information. Whatever makes you anxious, consider that the opposite is true. If something seems like a negative outcome, consider how it might work for you. Rather than be intimidated by your fear, give it a job; tap its energy. Live your life. SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 If something is right, you can usually persuade others that it’s so — especially if you’re clear in your understanding. You have no reason to doubt yourself, so therefore you can strive for what you want. Of course, as a Libra, you will remember to be polite and diplomatic at all times. OCT. 23-NOV. 21 You are capable of making decisions that potentially go against your personal interests, in order to serve the greater good. Even if that seems to be the case this week, don’t worry — you’ll discover that what works for someone else also works for you, even if you didn’t see it at first. NOV. 22-DEC. 21 Your faith in yourself is almost unshakable, so don’t let anyone shake you. You possess the kind of confidence that can only come from deep within a person, and which is, in truth, a prerequisite for happiness. The beauty is, you don’t have to make your case; you merely need to trust yourself. DEC. 22-JAN. 19 Most worry is about letting other people do your thinking for you. We tend to adopt the anxieties of people such as parents, spouses and even close friends. When you think about your life on your own terms, there’s a lot less to be concerned about. Practice, and you’ll get that one right. JAN. 20-FEB. 18 Where there is genuine affection, people will be yielding to one another. Ask yourself if you’re truly flexible when someone close to you needs you to be. Can you shift your viewpoint, or doubt whether you are correct? Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Good things will happen. FEB. 19-MARCH 20 You have moved a mountain this week, though make sure you plan for some downtime over the weekend. You also need a definition of that, which might be a day with no scheduled meetings, deadlines or social events. You need at least one day to be free-range with no responsibilities.