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Do Birthdays Really Have Special Meaning

I’ve always considered birthdays to be special. If you’re a parent, I think you know what I mean. I’ll never forget the joy of the birth of my two sons. But do birthdays really have special meaning?

Astronomy vs. Astrology

Stars have always given me a special fascination. Yet I never studied astronomy in college or even seriously on my own. But what is the difference between astronomy and astrology? Astronomy studies the placement of the stars and planets while astrology attempts to correlate how the heavenly bodies affect our lives. Check out Sky and Telescope for a great blog article on this question.

Is This Even Real?

Astrology was ever present in the daily newspaper and magazines I read in my young adult years. I’d always turned to my sun sign’s blurb for the week or the month, but my logical mind asked, “How can the same thing be true for everyone born during a 3-week period.”

The funny thing is it usually had a grain of truth in it.

Finding a Qualified Astrologer

Through a mutual friend, I found astrologer Michele Adler. I originally had my natal chart report in mid-2014 with C.A. Brooks, a talented astrologer in Denver, CO. Since then I’ve used three different gifted astrologers, but it seemed something was missing. Ms. Adler is retired, but if she has time, and you want to have your natal chart, she’s very qualified. Yes, friends, I recommend Michele Adler. And isn’t that how we get the best referrals, through friends?

A Peek Into My Chart

How the alignment of the stars and planets affects us is a personal story. Sometimes it is quite revealing or even startling. Here are some connections between my natal chart and -> my personality.

  • My natal moon was in Gemini, ruled by Mercury -> a lifelong learner
  • The element earth is missing in my chart -> scattered at times
  • The star Pollux -> seeking truth, however painful

Anyone who knows me, either personally or through my writing, is nodding their head while reading this list of connections. True?

Some Final Words

Astrology can have far-reaching effects. The biggest media blitz about astrology during my lifetime, occurred during a certain American President’s term when it was revealed the First Lady consulted an Astrologer. If you are know the answer, comment below. Are you curious? Use the popup on this page to signup for my newsletter where I reveal the answer to this bit of history.

If you ask yourself, “Do birthdays really have special meaning,” I invite you to search for an astrologer or ask your friends for a recommendation. Each of us has a path and I believe the Universe brings us the connections we need to walk our path. We only need to ask.

How Much Time You Waste

Do you know how much time you waste? I thought I was pretty productive until I realized I needed to carve time for new activities. It was important knowing how and where am  I wasting time. Where can I ask others to take over tasks? What do  I want to stop doing in my life?

My circumstance isn’t in a business situation. I’m retired, working on an idea for a business. So that makes me an entrepreneur, I suppose. Regardless, it’s important I know how I spend my time if I want to do new things.

How Did I Determine Wasted Time?

In one of my accountability groups with Whitney McNeill’s Messenger of Spirit, I learned about the app, Toggl. I downloaded it onto my iPhone and started using it immediately, before Whitney’s virtual meeting was even finished.

Toggl is totally intuitive, even for my over-60 brain. However, I admit I’m used to organizing tasks into categories from my career in database design. I believe this is the most crucial aspect of tracking your time. When I first started playing with Toggl on my iPhone, I didn’t understand how Projects work. Rather than continue wasting more time, I replied to an email congratulating me on downloading Toggl. Yes, I asked for help.

Their reply was detailed and included a link to an online tutorial for the Web app. After watching it, I learned a lot more about projects and easily found another helpful article on utilizing the iPhone app. I’ve included both links at the end of this blog.

Tips for Using Toggl

Here are my tips before using Toggl:

  1. Brainstorm what you do in a typical day or week.
  2. When you have a page full of what you do, start grouping the tasks
  3. Form 4-5 large areas
  4. Associate these areas with the tasks
  5. Write the list of tasks down on another piece of paper
  6. Set up Projects from the large areas in the Web Toggl version
  7. Start tracking, assigning Projects first and then use your task list for timed tasks, preferably when you start your day

Helpful Toggl Links

Tutorial using the Web Application
Article on using it on the iPhone (iOS)

I am so excited about this app, I wanted to share it with you. While using it, I realize it is so much more powerful than a simple organizer of time.

Next week I’ll update you on how I’m putting it to use in my daily life.

I’d love to hear from you about your time tracking experience, whether using Toggl, other digital or paper based time tracking.

Dawn

New Year or New Decade

It’s finally here, the new year or new decade, 2020. I’ve heard so much grumbling  about 2019. Did you review 2019 by reading or watching all the lists of famous people who passed on or the number of tragedies?

Blessings of 2019

Not me! I focused on the blessings I experienced in 2019; my cruise to Alaska, the excitement of my first Zipline, putting my health in the forefront with workouts and a personal trainer, joining Noom to eat healthier, exploring meditation in a deeper way and teaching my first class about Reiki meditation.

There Were Tough Spots Too

Sure, there were some difficulties in 2019. I released them. They are in the past, gone.

Onto 2020

New year resolutions are a ghost from the past. Rather it’s time to assess what you really want, create the big picture and the goals to get you there. Since 2020 is the beginning of a decade, it feels so much more important than 2019. Now is the time to determine your intentions. I’m going to let you in on a secret about intentions and affirmations. You must feel it. Visualization is great, but if you don’t feel the emotions of your dreams, they may fall flat.

The time is now to start your journey. Let others know what you are doing in the comments below. For me, I’m starting the Dream Creator Mastermind with Connie Chapman.

Happy New Year

Let’s embrace the possibilities in the new year or new decade. Both are exciting. Happy New Year!