You know, back then, I wasn’t just checking Justin Toper’s Pisces weekly horoscope, I was checking everything you could find out there. Every single one. Daily horoscopes, monthly readings, tarot cards, numerology reports, you name it, I probably read it. I was in a total mess, confused as hell about what I should do next with my life, and desperate for some kind of sign, any sign, that would just tell me which way to go.
My work life felt like it was going nowhere, stuck in a rut. My personal goals? They were just a swirling blur of “maybe someday.” Every morning, I’d wake up feeling that dread, that heavy feeling like I was just drifting without a compass. And believe me, when you feel like that, you start grasping at straws. So, yep, that’s where the horoscopes came in. I’d scroll through them, hoping some cosmic alignment would suddenly beam down the answers to all my problems, telling me exactly what move to make.
But here’s the thing, after weeks, maybe months, of pouring over these predictions, I started to realize something important. My life wasn’t magically getting clearer. The “opportunities” mentioned sometimes materialized, sometimes didn’t. The “challenges” were always there, horoscope or no horoscope. It was just a big jumble of vague advice that could apply to anyone on any given Tuesday. It didn’t feel personal, it didn’t feel like my path.
I remember one specific week, the horoscope said something about a “major unexpected financial gain” for Pisces. Man, I was buzzing! I checked my bank account daily, scanned old lottery tickets, even dreamt up winning scratch-offs. Nothing. Not a cent. That was kind of the tipping point for me. I finally told myself, “Okay, this isn’t it. This isn’t how I’m gonna figure things out.”
My Own Practice Kicked Off
That’s when I decided I needed to stop outsourcing my decisions to the stars and actually do something concrete. This was my real practice beginning. I started with something super simple: I just started writing stuff down. Not fancy journaling, just bullet points on a cheap notebook.
- First thing I did: I grabbed a pen and paper. No specific agenda, just started scribbling down everything that was swirling around in my head. All the worries, all the vague goals, all the “what ifs.”
- Then, I forced myself to list my actual problems: Not the general “I’m lost” but specifics. “I hate my current project at work.” “I’m not learning new skills.” “I haven’t talked to old friends in ages.” Breaking it down into bite-sized pieces felt less overwhelming.
- Next, I tried to brainstorm solutions, no matter how silly: For the work project, it might be “talk to my boss,” or “see if someone else can take it,” or “just power through.” For learning new skills, “look up online courses,” “ask a colleague,” “read a book.”
- I started a “win” list: Every day, I’d write down one small thing I achieved. It didn’t have to be big – “finished that annoying email,” “called my mom,” “walked around the block.” This really helped to shift my mindset from feeling stuck to feeling like I was actually making progress, even tiny bits.
- Weekly review: At the end of each week, usually on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee, I’d look back at my notes. What did I actually do? What felt good? What still felt like a brick wall? I wasn’t judging myself, just observing.
It was rough going at first. Some days, I’d stare at the blank page, nothing coming out. Other days, I’d write a bunch of nonsense and feel even more confused. But I kept at it, consistently. It wasn’t about perfection, it was about showing up for myself.
Slowly, things started to shift. By actually putting words on paper, I began to see patterns. I realized that a lot of my “problems” were actually just anxieties I hadn’t truly faced. And the “solutions” weren’t always complicated; sometimes, it was just taking that first small step.
For example, that work project I hated? After listing all my options, I gathered enough courage to talk to my manager. Turns out, she was open to me taking on something different if I could wrap up the current one efficiently. That never would have happened if I’d just waited for a horoscope to tell me “opportunity knocks.” I had to make the knock myself.
My “practice” wasn’t some grand spiritual awakening or a sudden flash of insight. It was just the daily grind of showing up, jotting things down, thinking things through, and taking small, actionable steps. It was messy, it was imperfect, but it was mine. And honestly, it gave me more clarity and direction than any cosmic prediction ever could.
