The Magic Carrot

You've probably seen cartoons or pictures in storybooks of a person riding along on a donkey holding a stick with a carrot dangling from it, to keep the donkey walking forward. Sometimes we need to do that for ourselves, dangle a little thing in front of our noses instead of focusing on the big picture. The big goal can seem overwhelming and unreachable at times. The rider of the donkey is careful to dangle the carrot in the direction they want the donkey to go. You next little steps should be more than busy work, doing for doing's sake. Know the right path and stay of it.
There is a second form of carrot that we use to motivate ourselves. That is the affirmation. When we write or say our affirmation we say something that is not yet true but we wish it to be. The tension between the truth and the affirmation draws us forward, trying to make it true.
There is yet another form of the carrot used to lead forward. Parents probably use this the most. That is praise that is mostly true but just a bit on the upward side. Such as "I am proud of the way you make sure your homework is turned in." even though that might not be a consistent behavior yet. It could become so.
Think about the dangling carrot as a magic wand for you, as a wise magician, to use. Draw yourself or others a little bit forward on a path to a more magical life. May the spark be with you.