If someone from a different culture tests your patience today, don’t get upset about it. This communication disconnect isn’t a problem; it’s an opportunity! You can learn a lot about yourself and how to communicate in creative ways when you’re forced to deal with someone who doesn’t quite speak the same language as you either literally or figuratively. Think the best of this other person and you two will eventually connect in a very profound way.

For best results, make a mixture of the favorite and the fresh. Try a different activity or hit a different spot with a great friend and see what kind of new characters you meet along the way.

Leave your work issues at work so you can fully enjoy your loved one’s company when you get home. Stopping at the gym first is a good way to transition into your evening.

Ignorance is not bliss. Letting your peculiarities out into the light of day is your best defense against them. They’re growing like weeds in the dark of your inattention. It doesn’t take expensive therapy to prune them back, though. All it takes is your acknowledgement of their existence.