Ways to perk up when your mood sinks down…
You’re an eternal optimist, but that doesn’t mean you don’t feel down now and then. Here are a few ways to revive your spirits in a flash.
How to slow things down to see results faster…
You’re a quick-change artist. You can turn on a dime. New business opportunity? You’re the first to sign up. But how about follow-through? If you abandon jobs, hobbies, or people in your rush to the next, you can train your brain to persevere.
Labyrinths are carefully designed to move you toward clarity and calm (at least temporarily). Walking one can lower stress, revive creativity, and center your mind. Here’s the thing—you can’t rush or worry about what’s ahead. You can take the time to notice what you’re feeling. Choose from thousands of labyrinths around the world!
The list you need to make for greater happiness…
Do you really need all that stuff on your “to buy” list? Start another list of all the things you’re thankful you already have in your life. Write down whatever pops into your head. Great friends? Pretty hands? The world’s best parents? A loving pet?
Just the act of writing them down will switch your mindset from thinking about what you don’t have to appreciating what you do. The lists will balance each other out. In fact, you’ll probably find the appreciation list is longer! Who knows? You might decide to be a little more thankful and make do with a little less.
This flower can give Aries special powers…
Sweet peas, with their “wings of gentle flush,” as John Keats described them, are some of the most fragrant flowers you can grow. You can plant these delicate climbers, associated with Aries, in the yard or in a sunny window box. Like you, the fuchsia, purple, pink, and white beauties can stand the heat! If you want to wear the fragrance, try the Yosh Han’s classic Yosh White Flowers, which mixes sweet pea, narcissus, gardenia, tuberose, freesia, and lilac, or Ralph Lauren’s Polo Blue for men, combining sweet pea, melon, and amber.
What’s Aries’ power metal?
Strong, adamant, and forged in fire, it’s fitting that your metal is iron! It lent its name to an age that suggests industriousness and toughness. This amazing element is what people use when they want to build something strong. Weld, cast, machine, forge, temper, harden, or anneal it, iron can take on a seemingly limitless range of shapes and qualities. It’s so important that every red-blooded life form depends on it. But too much or too little iron can be harmful, so check the iron content of your multivitamin. If you don’t need it, opt for iron-free.
The best way to challenge yourself…
You can’t stand to be bored. You like to play softball or volleyball with your buddies, but maybe they’ve become too predictable. Someone as competitive as you should pit yourself against the only person who can really present a challenge—you!
If you like to run, swim, or bike, you might be awesome in a triathlon. Sign up with a team and train together. Find training tips and inspiration online or with your own trainer. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone but you. And what sort of challenge would feed the Aries soul? The Ironman, of course!
There’s a reason that Aries is the first zodiac sign!
Cardinal quality, Mars-ruled, fire element, first house—is there anything about Aries that doesn’t spell leadership? You don’t want to rule the world, you just want to be in control of your domain. And right or wrong is less important to you than having it all, and having it now. You see the world through the lens of what’s best for you, which to others can seem self-involved. If it’s selfish to know exactly what you want and go after it with single-minded focus, then guilty as charged! Just don’t forget to pause and take a breath now and then so other mere mortals can catch up.
How to make even the blandest foods Aries-approved!
You like your food the way you like your partners—hot! Spice up something as mundane as butternut squash by adding a dose of smoky cayenne. Cut peeled squash into strips and toss with two tablespoons olive oil and one-half teaspoon of black pepper, cayenne, cumin, and salt. Bake on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 450, turning halfway through. Or, top prepared pizza dough with a spicy sauce, some of the cooked squash mixed with onion and cayenne. Crumble goat cheese on top and bake until crispy for a novel take on an old standard.
Where should you go on your next vacation, Aries?
Life is an adventure, and your vacation should reflect that. You love to be first, so look for new places where “everyone” hasn’t been, exotic locales that are off the beaten path. You want heat? How about Morocco, nestled right beside the Sahara Desert. You can explore courtyards, tiny alleyways, and jaw-dropping vistas, as well as shops packed with hand-woven textiles, fragrant spices, and beautiful pottery and mosaics. Relax with some tea and watch the world go by, or trek to Roman ruins and other World Heritage sites. There’s more than enough to do, even for the insatiable Ram!
Are you distracting yourself from being happier?
You always want to be doing. If something or someone is moving too slowly for your warp-speed ways, you’re likely to stomp off in frustration. Your quick mind is also easily bored, and so rather than see something through, you’ll dart off to the next item that catches your attention.
Your hot temper can lead to some ill-advised (dare we say childish) tantrums. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You’re also blessed with unconquerable optimism. When you’re moody, you don’t dwell on it. Just remember, it’s not what happens to you in life, it’s how you deal with it. And that’s one thing you can always control!