TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Aries (March 21-April 19): You’ve seen it time and again: The seemingly mundane becomes quite miraculous when you know a little more about it. That’s why you look into what makes things work and why.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Of course you want to choose joy. Who wouldn’t? But it’s not always so easy to see where the joy is in the situation. A lot of times, the joy is elsewhere, and you have to take yourself out of the situation to find it.

Gemini (May 21-June 21): There are communication barriers that will come down once you learn the other person’s language. If the rewards look promising enough, you’ll do just that today.

Cancer (June 22-July 22): You’re the king or queen of compromise. You’ll quite easily strike upon an arrangement that will make life easier for all. Your motivation may be something you promised your people, but truly everyone involved will benefit.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): You think about what the other person’s experience is in dealing with you. Is it pleasant? Is it easy? Do they like the person they are in your eyes? Nail this, and your dealings will be stellar.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): There’s a lot that’s competing for your attention today, but if you follow the ancient wisdom of putting first things first, all problems will fall into a manageable form. You can do this!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): Expert performances will not arise out of genetic predisposition or super-intelligence but out of thousands of hours of deliberate practice. Put in your time now and later you’ll be glad you did.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Actor Donald Moffat is 87. Actor Caroll Spinney (Big Bird on TV’s “Sesame Street”) is 84. Rhythm-andblues singer Abdul “Duke” Fakir is 82. Record producer Phil Spector is 78. “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh is 72. Country musician Bob Carpenter is 71. Funk musician George Porter Jr. is 70. Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 70. Retired MLB All-Star Chris Chambliss is 69. Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is 63. Former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is 62. Humorist David Sedaris is 61. Rock musician James Kottak is 55. Country musician Brian Westrum is 55. Rock musician Lars Ulrich is 54. Actress Nadia Dajani is 52. Rock musician J is 50. Country singer Audrey Wiggins is 50. Rock musician Peter Klett is 48. Rock singer James Mercer (The Shins; Flake) is 47. Actor-singer Jared Leto is 46. Actress Kendra C. Johnson is 41. Rock singer Chris Daughtry is 38. Actress Beth Behrs is 32. Actor Kit Harington is 31. Actress Eden Sher is 26. Pop singer Jade Thirlwall is 25. Actor Zach Mills is 22.

Knowing the difference between what’s important and what’s urgent will allow you to focus yourself well today. Many of the so-called “urgent” matters vanish if you simply ignore them.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There are many ways to work through your feelings. You can talk them out, dance them out, exercise them out; you can write, paint, cry, shout them out. Do

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The pursuit will take motivation, time and discipline. With the right motivation, the other two will be easier to obtain. If you don’t have them, you’ll make them.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): No matter how far you get with what you know, there will always be new knowledge, adaptations and complex mental models to spur you to ever higher levels. It’s a good thing you love to learn, because it’s a continuous path.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): The issue that appears weighty and diffused in the soft morning light will look very different to you as the sun steps higher in the sky. You’ll correctly assess the big picture and get sharper details in the direct light of day.

Today’s birthday (Dec. 26): Good decisions get easier and easier for you. You’ll be tuned in to the small things that matter — which is to say every small thing, as the miraculous essence of life shimmers under every surface. Friends and loved ones gravitate toward your positivity and joy. There’s healing in February. Finances free up in March. Cancer and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 28, 4, 44 and 18.

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