It’s not too hard to think about how you might get happy in the distant future, but that usually involves a lot of fantasy circumstances and events that you have zero control over. Choose to be happy right now. There’s a way! Indeed, there are many ways under the Leo sun. When the sun is in this part of the sky, playtime begins. Go find your happy.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Competition is usually bad for close relationships, as you want to lift, not outshine, the ones you love. However, sometimes the competition brings out the best in everyone, as is the case today.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Boredom is a necessary part of life — and one that keeps you questing forward to discover new horizons. It’s not about whether you can find something better. It’s just that you want to see it all and have all of the experiences.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your discomfort may be telling you to stop an activity, or it may be an essential thing to push through in order for you to grow. So which is it? You’ll have to back up and look at the big picture to tell.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). It can be fun to hang around people who do the social equivalent of spinning in circles and the emotional equivalent of bumping into things for excitement. It’s also tiring, though. Today you’ll need a break from the drama.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It felt as if you were in a trap, and you wanted desperately to be released from the emotional heaviness of a situation. And now you will be, but not because someone else had the key; you will be freed by your own understanding.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). People owe you, it’s true, but if they can’t pay, what does it matter? Even thinking about it is a waste of time. Your best bet is to take the lesson and move on.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You can’t know everything about everything, but as you go deeper into a chosen topic of interest, you’ll find that the principles apply to other areas, as well.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The choice to be kind often happens before you ever leave the house. When you set this as your intention, everything that happens out in the world reflects your approach.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You really don’t think with just your brain; rather, you think with your whole body, and every move you make affects your thoughts. Exercise will revive your outlook.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s within human nature to care for others while being mindful that someday others will care for you. It’s superhuman to care for others out of pure love and without expectation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It’s scary to go forward blindly, knowing that possibly you’ll only understand an experience when you look back on it. But if you don’t go foolishly forward, there will be nothing to look back on at all.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Envy and peace of mind cannot coexist. There are unfair things afoot that you’re having trouble letting go of. Try putting them aside for a while, in the name of peace, and maybe you’ll forget to pick them back up.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 22). You’re healthy, gorgeous and flush. Seeing as 90 percent of what you’ve worried about in the past hasn’t happened, it could be argued that worry is unnecessary (or that worry actually works!). You decide, but so much is going right for you in the next 12 months that a worry-free year ahead is yours if you choose to take it. Virgo and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 30, 1, 11 and 17.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: When the sun king enters Leo, he is coming home to his castle after a long journey of diplomatic duty. There’s a sense of relief, followed by a period of relaxation, which either fades into or overlaps with a strong impulse to have some fun. Life is a playground! Though you should keep in mind that “play” can look very different depending on who is doing the playing. Whereas some play on a golf course or boat, others play sitting in a chair in a quiet room, using their imaginations as the main event. Whatever play is for you, if you can make it a major part of your life over the next four weeks, you’ll be not only happier but also healthier, richer and more connected to the best parts and people in your environment.

Of course, there is this issue of the Mercury retrograde to contend with this week. It happens smack-dab in the middle, and the more you can do to offset the potential effects before they happen the better off you’ll be. Mostly, this is about planning ahead, anticipating what could go wrong and having a safety in place — generally, getting organized. If you can make those things happen, you’ll be ahead of the game.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Selena Gomez made her show business debut on “Barney & Friends” and went on to rule Disney Channel and then the pop charts. Gomez was born when the sun, Mercury and Venus were all in the charismatic station of Leo, the sign of entertainment and of children. Gomez recently showed up at a prom of a children’s hospital oncology unit to bring joy to others and restore her own.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis@gmail.com.

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