My magic castle

My magic castle

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Planned Study and Magic

All magicians know that knowledge does not belong to them alone. They are happy to learn from each other. Since magic is meant to have an effect, to be ultimately practical, the learning from others should also have a purpose and be practical. Learning for learnings sake is good for brain exercise and to stave off alzheimer's disease. But otherwise learning is best done when it is seen to be relevant. So planned study can have great benefits. I have been reading up on 'how to write a novel' from several of my instruction books and I am delighted at what I have learned. I have also sought out things on the web (advice from successful writers). Several things I have learned will make my story or stories, much more interesting. Therefore I have seen how 'planned study' can be a tool or magic wand for me. But if I am involved in study or research and I am called to digress from the planned path and end up discovering something of value then the hunch to digress was the magic wand. Magic always has the goal of 'wonderfully better'. So if doing a bit of research, asking the experts or reading something, or following your curiosity will make your life wonderfully better, even in a small way, be sure to use that "magic wand". Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for energy and insight. Become powerful in your life. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Magic Of Monitoring

When a magician casts a spell it is important to see if the spell works or not. Yet when we go back into ordinary life we resist checking on what we do. That doesn't do us any good. We need to monitor and review our daily life for satisfactions, successes and failures on a regular basis in order to build a better life. Some people resist this because they think they will be dwelling on their failures. If you learn from a mistake then that mistake is actually a success. I suggest you also include plans, dreams and aspirations as part of this monitoring program. Not only must you know how well you are meeting the needs of daily life, you also need to know if you are moving towards reaching your dreams. Don't leave those dreams in dreamland. There is an art to making dreams real. It is not an easy art. But monitoring your progress, and learning from mistakes, is an important part of developing this art. To draw this monitoring into the realm of magic you could do it in a special time, in a special place, in a special way. Perhaps you could review the day or week that has just passed in a candle lit room with incense and soft music. Perhaps you could start out by listing valuable lessons learned. That is a much better way of looking at mistakes rather than calling them failures. Learning from failures is much different from dwelling on them. You can go beyond failures if you learn from them. I have been reading over some of my early works to see how I can improve them and it has been quite a good lesson. The stories were imaginative but the flow of words did not sing in some of the children's picture book stories the way I wanted. Until I became conscious of the the importance of making story engaging I could not consistently put that in my stories. Now I have an awareness of a skill I need to develop. I was able to do it on a hit or miss basis before. But it wasn't really part of my skill set. Since I have learned how to monitor my writing in a better way I do believe I will become a better writer. As you learn your skills of magic learn to monitor your life in whatever realms you need. Financial, relationships, health, your craft. You are the magician and monitoring is one of your tools, or magic wands. Use your tools well. May the spark be with you.

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Magic Of People

A magician often works alone. You may not realize that you have just a touch of low grade loneliness. But if you bother to get a dose of company you will find yourself functioning on a higher level. When we are super lonely we know it. That is the time to reach out to loved ones or try to create relationships. But there are days when you need to go shopping and bother to ask the clerks to show you where something is or to find other opportunities to chat. Sometimes even bothering to check your e-mail will be all it takes. Low grade loneliness can cause us to be less decisive and less productive. The reason I am bothering to make such a simple suggestion is because it is so easy to forget to take a "dose of socialability" as often as would be good for us. In working magic it is often the little things that have the biggest impact. Self care helps us to be more able to care for others. Take the time to speak and visit enough that you don't get a layer of loneliness wrapped around you. Nurture all your relationships whether they are with close friends or business acquaintances. Solitude is good. In solitude you are in communion with that which is greater. Loneliness is not so great. There is not even good communion with yourself when you are lonely. So reach out to the magic that surrounds you to help you get away from too much loneliness. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Magic Of The Threshold

In literature a hero must go on a hero's journey that starts when he crosses his first threshold. All of us are on a hero's journey whether we realize it or not. We are our own hero. We cross many thresholds. Even the simple act of crossing the threshold of your home opens you up to adventure and discovery. The minute you go outside there is the possibility that you will hear new bird songs, that you will see new sights, that you will make new discoveries. For me I feel like I have recently crossed a symbolic threshold or two. I am involved in a deep rewrite of a novel. I am looking at more than grammar and plot arc. I am also exploring themes and what I have to say about life. Becoming more aware of what I have had to say in this way has given me a deeper understanding of myself and my values. Knowing more thoroughly who I am has made me feel like I have stepped into another world. This is making it easier for me to throw out passages that don't fit into the scheme of things. I have been discovering my own voice, my own style. When other writers critique my work I have a better idea of what to listen to and what to ignore or how to put my own spin on it. I think every magician has to discover something like this for themselves. We need to know who we are and what we stand for and be able to take responsibility for that. Many stories of magicians speak of the time the magician retired from the world. For instance Merlin was gone away from Arthur's court. The time away from the world is a time of inner discovery and requires a decent amount of effort. But one comes back more in charge of one's magic. Let the magic that surrounds you give you the courage and energy to cross the thresholds you need to cross. May the spark be with you.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Magic Of Changing Your Baggage

Sometimes people who would never dream of wearing dirty underwear carry around outworn or even toxic baggage for years. If you only live from reaction to reaction you are bound to have a big load of attitudes and behaviors that no longer work for you. Some people say that to be sophisticated is to know about wines, have traveled and that it may even be an artificial way of being. But the root of sophistication is Sophia or wisdom. It is good to go beyond the natural, after all learning manners and how to eat, tie your shoes and so on is beyond the natural. Addictions are in the realm of the reactive. If you are aiming for a life in which you are in charge, not controlled by your habits or your baggage you must have a degree of sophistication. You must become aware of your behaviors and habits of mind. Once aware you can change. You can practice linking good feelings or calm feelings to good actions. You can dump the self talk that makes you feel morose or angry. Just because you have always done something is no reason to continue to do it. I knew a woman with extremely long hair. She always wore it up in a way that gave her discomfort from the weight of it. When asked why she didn't cut it or let it hang (which would have been inconvenient as well) she said, "But it's my hair" as if hair was so holy you had to let it make you suffer. So she did suffer. The attitude was set in stone and she couldn't examine it to see if it served her or not.
One way to discover when you have outmoded baggage is to examine your reactions when you are irritated with someone. Perhaps that person is as awful as you think they are. Then you should avoid them. But suppose the irritation comes from your reaction of being a control freak or judgmental. Negative emotions are a signal that something needs to be changed. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for help in deciding whether that change needs to be in the outer world or in you. Perhaps it's time to get rid of your dirty baggage. May the spark be with you.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Understanding Your Magic Wand

You never see a picture book or a movie about a magician without their magic wand.
A magic wand is the tool with which the magician causes all kinds of wonderful things to happen. Your mind is your magic wand. It can take you to wonderful realms or it can bring wonderful things into your life. But just as a magician must learn to use his magic wand so too must we learn to use our mind. Many people go through life living a life dictated by the reactive part of their mind. That kind of life is not truly satisfying, nor very full. All of your mental abilities can be polished and improved. You can learn to shift from the logical mind into the creative mind. At times it is good to be reactive or responsive. You can be very organized at times. You can be very decisive or you can come to understand your hidden agendas so they don't control you. The key to gaining mastery of your mind is to realize that your mind has different aspects. Then do what you must to become aware of those aspects. Each aspect has strengths and weaknesses. Logic is good at times but it is also important to be able to feel and express emotions at times as well. If you pay attention to these aspects on a regular basis you will be able to see when they kick in and how. Then you will able to trigger these different aspects. You must not try to force your mind to do your will. You must find the keys to unlock its power. If you are procrastinating you may see no reason to do the task you are feeling guilty about ignoring. But a conversation with yourself may reveal the reason for the procrastination. You can then do either of two things. Give up on the disliked task or find a meaningful reason for doing it. There are many instances where journaling or self-talk or talking things over with someone can help you use your mind better. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for the energy to learn to use your mind, your magic wand, in wonderful ways. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Magic Of Hard

Taking on hard things is the way to do great things. Just because something is hard doesn't mean it should be avoided. In August Newsweek reported on its ranking of different countries for quality of life. The US was ranked 11th. Ten other countries have better health, live longer, have better education and so on. The writer I first read who mentioned this was from The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman and it was run in today's Denver Post. Mr Friedman felt that we have slipped because too many of us are no longer willing to put forth hard effort. The wise magician knows that effort is vital in order to accomplish our desired goals. The way you take on hard things is with consistency of effort, preparation, willingness to take as long as it is needed to do the task, cooperation, and keeping your eye on the goal. Creativity also helps. Remember that hard things are made less painful when there is an air of magic about the effort. Work songs were developed to help people push those handcarts across the plains, to lay all those miles of railroad track, and many other jobs that got done as our country was becoming great. Songs, games, or whatever it takes to put a smile on your face or a lilt in your heart is part of the magic you can access to take on hard things. Don't be afraid of them. It is better to be afraid to run from them. Now I had better take my own advice and get busy on my re-write of Thimblewyck and some other writing tasks I have set myself. I hope you will have fun challenging your hard tasks as well. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Magic Of Form

It has been said that 'form follows function'. Thinking of the function of "things" often helps to see the form more clearly. It is easy enough to see that the function of a hand is to do things. The function of music (organized sound) is to help us perceive that sound more fully. We tend to shut out cacophony but when we can hear pattern and form in the sound it can be pleasing, even without melody. Understanding form, such as the principles of design that an artist might use, can help us to appreciate a work. However that appreciation might not need to be conscious. But it is pretty important when we intend to be the driving force behind a task or project. A creator does well to understand the tools with which she works. A mother needs to be able to use hugs, explanations, games, soothing sounds, persistence and much, much more to raise a child. A recovering addict needs to master the tools of self encouragement, getting outside help when needed, principles of self care, courage, etc. To create we must fuse intuition with will, the use of the left and the right brain together. To write a story there is a certain form to follow. There must be a certain amount of time spent on the different parts of the story. There must be a beginning, a middle and an end. If a key element of the story is presented too quickly, mentioned in passing as it were, the listener or the reader will not really comprehend the story. Each part of the story has a certain function in moving the story forward. A novelist has to ask 'what is the function of each chapter?'in order to write a cohesive book. A wise magician will be willing to pare down his 'words of power' to their essence in order to really understand what she wants to achieve. For seven years I taught inner city children in a class that was a combination of art and story telling. At first some would string together events in an endless litany without really telling a story. They would quickly lose their listeners. Creativity is meant to bring order out of chaos. The structure, the plan, the purpose, the form of a work are vital. If your life is in a shambles you can make it better by examining or discovering your values. Living true to your values will make your life 'well formed'. A person's life is their greatest creative work. Let the magic that surrounds you give you help in living true to your purpose. Let your life be well formed. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Importance Of The Listener

Having a good listener in you life can work magic for you. You will understand yourself and your dreams and aspirations better. You will become more accepting of yourself. When you are validated by a good listener you have more energy to live your best life. So if you don't have a listener do what you can to bring one into your life. If you do have a listener do all you can to show them gratitude, respect and honor. Important to the communication process is making sure that what you say is understood in the same way by the listener. A good listener will ask you to clarify or explain. A good listener will do part of the work of getting your ideas across. Good listeners are not plentiful. But you still do need to show respect to any listener. The meaning of a message is in how it is received. This is a radical idea to some. They think that what they say is holy no matter what the other person perceives. But in reality it is silly to speak unless you do want to be understood. You would not speak French to a Greek who did not understand French, would you? Try to find words that will be understood the way you want them to be understood when you speak. Friendships and love relationships are built on being able to understand each other. The friend or lover becomes a good listener, each for the other. This doesn't happen overnight. The wise magician works to make sure her spells have a chance to work. She chooses her words with care because those words go outward and inward. That's why it isn't always a good idea to speak when you are angry, other than to communicate that you are angry. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you to find the strength and energy to find a good listener for yourself. It is also a good idea to become a good listener to yourself. May the spark be with you.

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Magic Of The Reality Check

Ego and self-esteem are really important to our lives. They give us energy to keep on keeping on. Our work, our life, is thus imbued with meaning. But reality will also come up alongside us and thump us on the head. We will, or should, see ways in which we have made smug assumptions and have not delivered the most truthful work. This reality check may come because we have grown, or because of something someone trusted has said to us, or because we are looking at our views or our work in a new way. An especially vulnerable time is when we have created something that is supposed to be an improvement on work by someone else. We may be thinking that we have done so much better. We may have made some improvements but we may have also left things undone. This happened to me. I was smug about writing a novel and sequels based on Andersen's Thumbelina. I came up with some fun ideas. But I didn't work to polish my writing enough. I'm having to do it now. It is good to step back from our creative darlings and say, "Well done!" then wait for awhile and say to ourselves, "You are great but look at your work to see if you can be greater". We can also be proud of ourselves when we have to throw out something we have done when we realize it is not our best work, or even worthy of being called our work at all. The reality check helps us do that.
I have been putting forth that magic is well formed. So the wise magician tries to put magic in his or her work. We deserve to do no less. So let reality give you a needed jolt so you can do magical work. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Magic Of Incubation

Sometimes you need to get busy on a creative project and it just doesn't fly. A change in habits is one of the most creative projects you can engage in so include that along with writing a symphony, or painting a picture. The way it is supposed to work is: skill leads to action leads to good results. You know, or at least think, you have the skill. You have done everything you can to make the work flow. But somehow you aren't really ready. Even when you do all kinds of warm-ups. This is where incubation comes in. When you give your creative side, your inner self, your subconscious, your project with enough zing it will give it back to you fairly quickly in a way that will build a fire in your belly. The logical side of your brain will have been brought into the act as well. You have to hand it over to your inner self with authority, with a sense of 'I must do this and I want your help'. Don't be wimpy about it. Then go about your business, preparing and getting ready to start on your project. But when the need to get started grabs you, don't hesitate. Go for it. It has cooked long enough on your mental back burner and it's ready to go. I am in favor of schedules and being organized in one's work. But for the zing and flair to be there I think that incubation is important. Incubation is part of what brings magic into your life. Try it you might like it. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Magic Of The Warm-up

You may already have a good idea of what a warm-up is but I'd like to focus on it for a bit just to help you really understand the magic in it. Athletes have warm- up activities to make sure their muscles have the proper blood flow and that the body-mind connections for their sport are functioning well. It is the same with musicians, vocal and instrumental. Perhaps you have answered the phone in the morning and been surprised by your voice having a catch in it or being gravelly. You hadn't yet spoken and your voice wasn't warmed-up. Warm-ups are useful or even necessary for the proper execution of the planned task or activity. Besides the importance of physical warm-up there is also brain and character warm-up. If you are going to engage in a mental activity that requires a lot of logic or sequential thinking you can first make up some lists or run through the times tables in your mind. Get your left brain in gear. The same is true when you are about to engage in creative work. Do a bit of imagining or appreciation of aesthetics to get your right brain working. When you are trying to make changes that involve strength of character or will power you will need both sides of your brain because they both work in helping your will power. I see myself as needing to warm up this way daily. I want to be a much published writer but I have trouble disciplining myself to work at my writing enough. Just focusing on the idea that you are going to use your will power in a certain situation will warm-up your strength of character. Or as has been said poetically, "screw your courage to the sticking point." If you are abusing food or any other substance you will not be caught off guard by temptation if you have set your mind to resist it. That is the result of warming-up your character. Schedules and good routines also help with that. As you start any endeavor you will become more fully involved in it and do a better job as you warm-up to it. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for the energy to do a good warm-up and make your life better. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Magic Of Risk

Risk is an interesting concept. When therapists or social workers refer to people who are liable to get in trouble or be victimized they refer to them as "at risk". In this context risk is a bad thing. For our purpose today let's add the modifier
'calculated'. a calculated risk can bring great rewards. Always clinging to safety and the known can be dangerous. Change and venturing into the unknown is actually important in life. The first grader doesn't know what school will be like. The new hire doesn't know what the job will entail. The new bride or groom doesn't really have a handle on marriage. But the willingness to risk is needed to take any of these new roles on. I suggest that you look at the things that make risk less risky. Good health, preparation, a support system, good equipment if equipment is needed, a good plan, a contingency plan, clear understanding of the goal,the willingness to learn as you go and the ability to take risks. People who count too much on the supposed payoff of the risk will be devastated if the risk doesn't work out. You can build up your ability to take risks by taking small steps or risks. For example a writer will tell the story,write it over and over until it pleases herself, then share it with friends, then get it critiqued by other writers before ever submitting it to a publisher. She will also research the publisher to make sure that is a good fit. A mountain climber will climb easy mountains first. A lover feels out the beloved and has faith in the strength of the relationship before proposing. A businessperson makes sure there is a market for what he or she wants to sell before they open a store. Risk energizes and opens doors. Calculated risks can pay off well. Reach out to the energy of the magic that surrounds you and see if good risks are suggested to you. Then prepare and take them. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Strengthen The Strengths

A previous post talked about going back to the comfort zone or mastery of a skill before you again tried to move forward if the mastery was incomplete or uncomfortable. There is another part of that in regards to change. Since change is hard it is good to do all you can to make it easier. When I was a teacher we did a lot with learning disabled children at my school. We were taught to "strengthen the strengths then break the chain at the weakest link". By strengthening the strengths you are aware of what they are and can use them as resources. An example of this was several boys who were taking auto shop and found that they had improved in their reading abilities. They were not pressured about their reading but enjoyed trying to figure out the meaning of print in a repair manual. This came after they were feeling good about the chance to work on cars. If you are a writer and have a big novel to rework that can be daunting. But it will be easier if you identify the strengths you have as a writer. Then look for the (hopefully) few places where you have not shown that strength. If you are fighting bad habits look for the time of day when these habits do not plague you then try to extend this time a little. Or look for your most creative and productive behaviors. You feel good at those times. Strengthen that feeling and then think about engaging in the bad habit. The bad habit will be less appealing because it doesn't go with the creative high. Being in a good mood takes away part of the power of the bad habit and thus makes it a weaker link. That is the power of having a mind set that we are surrounded by magic. That gives us energy to act in powerful and positive ways. Use this energy to find your strengths then break the chain of oppression of bad habits at the weakest link. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Back Up To Mastery

As we progress along the way towards our best life we will occasionally get a little ahead of ourselves. We will be progressing but we won't feel secure about it. Perhaps we have moved too fast or perhaps our support system has weakened. Whatever the reason, when things aren't clicking just back up to the safety zone. Get secure then go forward once again. Sometimes what we are trying to learn is how to feel happy and be productive. When you aren't where you want to be do not beat up on yourself for that. If you don't feel happiness then remember happiness. If you are not productive count all the things you did do that day, including getting out of bed and having breakfast. Those are important accomplishments. We do not go forward on a regular smooth schedule. Plateaus are necessary so we can internalize what we have learned or mastered. Mistakes teach us what we have not yet thoroughly mastered. Then go back to mastery and learn how to do what you didn't know when you made those mistakes.
Do what you can not to go backward. If you let yourself get angry at yourself for your seeming lack of progress you may end up going backward. Itemization of your progress can be helpful. Sometimes I encourage myself to keep on trying by making a done list, that is listing the things I have done. That gives me a little energy to keep on going. The safety zone is not escapism. Taking a break is okay, even necessary. But learn to know where the level of safety is so you can go past it when ready or go back to it when needed. Pianists warm up with scales and well mastered pieces of music. The warm up without pressure is also important in sports. When I am trying to master something new in my writing I sometimes have to go back and read something I have written that I felt good about. The magic that surrounds you will help you find that feeling of smoothness and confidence that comes from mastery. Use the energy of that feeling to move forwards to your good life. May the spark be with you.

Monday, September 6, 2010

The Magic Of Guilt

The American Indian Tribe, The Navajo, say that the authentic life is 'walking in the beauty way'. There are times when you will not walk in the beauty way. But once you have known what the right path is, what discipline you need to have in order to be on that right path you may be lucky enough to feel guilt when you are not there. Guilt will nag at you until you get off the couch and move around a little, until you do put in some writing time, until you take your medications, or whatever else you really need to do to be on the right path. As I said, if you are lucky. Guilt should not be allowed to make you go to a toxic meeting, to engage in compulsive behavior, or to buy something you don't want or need. The wise magician knows that the inner self is to be listened to. The inner self is like a magic wand. It will direct you to go in ways that are good for you. Sometimes you will have lucky accidents, feel guilt, have hunches, have dreams, have impulses. If you are truly in tune with your inner self you will follow the promptings it gives you. So I suggest that you stop for a moment and let any guilt feeling you have surface. Then ask yourself if they are valid. There can be misplaced guilt. What is the message of the valid guilt feeling? If they suggest a beneficial action don't hesitate. Take that action. Make your life better. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Magic Of Style

Nowadays style is not defined by fashion arbiters but by each person. That is not a new idea. When I was a teen one of my friends spent summers in a cosmopolitan city and when she would come back to our small town she would busy herself telling us about the latest styles that we should adopt. Many of her friends did do as she suggested. I balked at having streaks of green hair and she then told me privately that it wasn't really a style from Los Angeles. She was just having fun figuring out things she wanted to try and wanted company in trying them. I didn't tell anyone else because most of her ideas did seem to be fun. The main consideration in adopting a characteristic, type of dress or mannerism as your own personal style is what you can and want to carry off. Self expression is good for your soul. It is much better to show your individuality than to look like a faceless member of a group. If you must be outwardly uniform find ways to be covertly expressive. I enjoy going to graduations because of what I can glimpse under the gowns or on the feet of the graduates. For some it will be right to be flamboyant. For others it will be right to have one button a little different than the rest. Style is not just in the costume but also in the presentation. Take the time to develop you own voice, you own style. When you are comfortable with what you want to express and know how you want to express it you will find that you have more and more of importance to express. You can stand up for ways to make this world a better place. It's not about rebelling against authority but having the authority to draw people to your way of thinking. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you to find and express your style. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Opportunities

To take advantage of an opportunity you have to know the opportunity is there. Look for them. Be careful not to become known as someone who just watches out for himself or herself and what he or she can take advantage of. But opportunities are blessings and it is good to take advantage of them. The wise magician will also look for ways to create opportunity. You may want to sell cookies. Making sure people can smell them will make them hungry and then you can sell your cookies. In other words look for ways to create an awareness of a need. In business there is an exercise known as 'market gap analysis' in which the entrepreneur looks for gaps in the products that are on the market that need to be filled. Some gaps should stay as gaps. Then the business person can fill that gap. To see opportunities you do have to look at needs, at what is wrong with things. Then your magic wand helps you see ways to help that need be met. Many good ideas have been just a flash in the pan because they were never connected to a need. So write stories that people will want to read. Good writing is important for that, or course. Cook food that will entice appetites and be nutritious. The point I am trying to make with those last two suggestions is that needs and wants aren't all that separate. If you only meet a need you are unlikely to get repeat clients, consumers, customers. Meet wants as well. Use this same pattern when you are meeting your own needs for change. Fighting overweight or addiction needs the help of being an interesting fight. So, as a wise magician, you must look for a need that you want to fill then find a way to raise awareness of that need, then make it interesting for it to be met. This can be done. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for help. May the spark be with you.

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Magic Of Reversal

I was in a Village Inn tonight and got quite a laugh out of the different slogans they had on their walls trying to interest people in buying dessert. One said "Stressed? Reversal is the cure?" I had to think a minute to realize the reverse of stressed was desserts. There is a technique encouraged in brainstorming and other creative work which is the same sort of thing--if you need an idea turn the concept or object you have upside down, around or inside out. That often generates many good new ideas or solutions. Of course we have all heard the advice to 'turn a frown upside down to get a smile'. Turning things in a different direction or way can be helpful. So look at the things that bug you in your loved ones. Does their noise irritate you? Look at it in a different way--the noise is a sign that they are there with you. Look at other irritations all around you--you hate the rain but don't really want to live in a terrible desert. I didn't like the long grass and weeds in my yard but they did provide me with some much needed aerobic exercise today. I mowed the lawn. So take your magic wand of "ability to look at things in new ways" and see what you can reverse, turn on its head or twist to give you a new story, a new recipe, a joke or something else of value. It may help your life even if it's just a laugh. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Quantum Entanglement

I am not really an expert on quantum mechanics but I do know that whenever you read about that field the ideas are pretty interesting. Recently I saw on TV some professor use the idea of quantum entanglement referring to relations of people. Quantum entanglement in when two objects are connected then move apart they still act on each other. In the life of people certain people will show up in your life in unusual ways at important times. Participation is a little bit like that. When you participate in a person's life you do make a deep connection and that connection is not broken by time or distance. I also believe that a connection can exist between a person and an object, although the connection is broken with distance sometimes. Think of the way it is when you drive a car. The connection is strong and you and the car influence each other. The sense of participation and opening up to a two way connection allows greater learning to take place. The object and the subject act on each other. Writers experience this when the characters seem to develop lives of their own. The wise magician will be open to connections on many levels. Participate thoroughly in life and life's abundance will come to you. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Magic Of Readiness

Teachers talk to parents about reading readiness, meaning that children need to experience and develop things that will make them ready to read. This could be concepts like the direction in which pages are turned, that stories go from top of page to bottom, what letters are, that letters make up words and so on. Yet readiness is necessary in most learning throughout life. We recognize this when we start a race off with "Ready, Set, Go." To develop readiness there is first awareness, then a sense of relevance. Next comes willingness to attempt the learning and being able to have trouble with the doing at first. Then comes the connection between the learner and what they are learning. After that can come mastery. Mastery is acknowledged when there is a flow or well formedness to the doing of the skill. A writer may put out words, facts, ideas that show a plot and sequence of events that lead to a conclusion. But unless there is flow, unless the listener or reader is drawn into the story that writer is not truly a storyteller. Look to the way you live out your own story. Do you enjoy flow? If not perhaps you are still in the learning stages of what you are attempting. Allow mistakes and be willing to work on the tiny details of your craft. When mastery comes flow is there. The magic wand in this case is twofold, the connection between learner and subject and the willingness to go over and over the tiny details that make up the whole before everything is put together. Reach out for readiness and mastery of the skills for your good life. May the spark be with you.