Astrology fascinates me. I’ve always appreciated the science behind the stars and believe in it wholeheartedly. My December birthday classifies me as a Sagittarius and I fit the Sagittarian role to a tee. I’m someone who likes to take risks and live in the moment. I’m genuinely happy the majority of the time. I am a positive extrovert, wisdom seeker, very passionate and most importantly – I love to dream big.
I read my horoscope every day when I pick up my coffee and use the words of wisdom as signs to lead me in the right direction. Three years ago, I took a few of those auspicious sentences written in my local newspaper clipping very seriously. My decision that day to follow the stars dramatically changed my life – forever.
Five years ago I was going through a particularly rough time. I had veered away from my core Sagittarian values. I was overwhelmed with life, the economy was in shambles, and I was a clueless new mother and workaholic desperately trying to find some balance in life. My family was struggling to stay afloat financially due to corporate pay cuts, shrinking bonuses, student loan debt and childcare costs. And on top of all this, I had lost my passion for a job I once loved and my husband and I’s relationship could best be described as two ships passing in the wind. Gone were the days of dream chasing and optimism. Somewhere along the way, I lost myself in rubble.
What I really wanted to do was resign from my job, start a new life, hug and kiss my kids more and find joy again. As lovely as that sounds, it seemed impossible. We needed the money and I felt it would be foolish to walk away from a career I worked tirelessly for, for over a decade. I was stuck – or so I thought.
During this difficult time I developed an afternoon coffee addiction along with my morning one. I think it was more of an excuse to escape and get some fresh air. Every day at 3 p.m. sharp, I’d walk two blocks to the corner coffee shop and bask in my brief moments of freedom. No phones, no questioning, no drama – just me and my empty thoughts. As I waited for my latte I’d sit on the corner bar stool in envy, watching people leisurely stroll through the city streets for fun instead of escaping reality, like me. Once the barista called my name, I’d head over to the counter and read my horoscope as per usual. For several weeks in a row, my horoscope stated I would have a career in publishing or the arts, which was always a dream of mine – but one I was too afraid to ever chase. Because the words kept repeating themselves though, I started to think – what if? Could I do something different? Walk away from this life and start anew?
The next month, after a horrible day at work, I walked down to the coffee store for my usual. When I picked up my latte I glanced over at my horoscope again and this time it read, “Your dream life is waiting for you, but first you must let something go”.
The words stung. My eyes welled with tears. My trusted advisors were right. In order to be happy, I had to let my job go. There were no more excuses. Life would figure itself out, and I had to trust what was written in the stars. I walked out into the street and took the deepest breath my lungs could hold and then I slowly exhaled. I knew my life was about to take a drastic turn, but I was finally ready.
Two days later I took action and resigned. That was three years ago. Today I have my dream job that is flexible around my life. I see my husband. I hug and kiss my kids more than they can stand. But, most importantly, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m finally back to good ol’ Sagittarius me.
I’m certain there is no such thing as a coincidence. Who knows, if I hadn’t seen that horoscope on that particular day, I may still be sitting in my office watching my life pass me by. I would not of had the courage to take the first step if it wasn’t for those words hitting me like a ton of bricks.
I still read my horoscope everyday as I pick up my morning Joe and whatever it says I’m sure to pay attention because, after all, if you don’t follow the signs – you’re bound to get lost. Life is too short for that.