Being concise is important today. The people you’ll be dealing with may not have a lot of time to waste. Their impatience doesn’t have to push you, though. If you don’t feel like editing your requests or rushing through a good story, then don’t. Just skip them and move on to the friends and co-workers who can afford to chat for as long as you want. But if you need something from the busy folks, you’d better cut to the chase and keep it short and sweet.

Whether it’s punk rock or opera, classic art or modern dance, culture stimulates your mind. Bust out of any rut you may be in and explore something new.

You might doubt whether you’re on the right track, but stay the course and you’ll be fine. It’s inevitable that you and your partner will hit some rough spots, but it will all work out.

When the cage door opens, you won’t hesitate to go crashing out of it. Go ahead, make a big splash, because this is the kind of occasion that warrants one. You’re being released from a lifetime financial obligation or getting out from under a mountain of debt. Whatever the particulars, a huge sigh of relief is just the beginning.