My magic castle

My magic castle

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Magic and Minor Phobias

Minor phobias may not even be on your radar.  You may avoid certain things just because you always have, you don't even know why.  I suggest to all wise magicians out there that you have yourselves an adventure.  Explore whether or not you have a couple, or a couple of dozen, phobias.  I recognize one I have, it is the filling out of forms.  Somehow I don't fit myself into little boxes, check here, very well.  A lot of things in life are gained by filling out the applications for them.  I have missed some opportunities by seeing the form, then feeling overwhelmed by looking at it, and putting it to one side.  Just for a while turns into, "Oh, oh, I forgot about it."  Discover a teeny phobia then devise a spell to deal with it.  Let your sensory self, and your sense of humor, conquer this "thing that blocks you from a better life". Here are a few phobias people may have: filling out forms, learning about political issues, going to a barber, shopping, washing dishes, going to a doctor, admitting mistakes, saying I don't know, saying that you want something, getting things taken care of for your car, writing thank you letters, being realistic about a budget, exercising, etc., etc.
You get the point, you are procrastinating and probably are missing out by doing so.  I remember a Political Theory class I took in college.  The author of one of our readings said "Laziness is pathology". He said that people were not naturally lazy and if it seemed like they were the social scientist needed to search out what was holding them back. Listen to you little nagging "shoulds".  Maybe they have validity. (Maybe they don't, too.)  You will only know if you examine them.  Make your decisions for your self.  Don't let your phobias do it.  You deserve a rich and full life.  May the spark be with you.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

The Magic of Lemons

"Lemon Tree very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat" so the song goes.  I am sorry but I don't know who recorded it or wrote it.  I hope I am not breaking any laws by not citing more.  I love all things lemon and sometimes I delight in being handed a lemon by life because it gives me a chance to make lemonade.  Many creative projects or businesses have come out of a situation in which a person had a problem and then solved it by seeing it as an opportunity.  Right now that is what is going on in my life.  I am trying to develop workshops and sell information products based on how we use our inner dialogue and do, or do not, access the skill of critical thinking.  I had some trouble with a service provider and found myself delighting in analyzing all the things they were doing wrong.  Their client service was faulty and yet I wasn't angry, I just wanted to help them improve. They no longer serve me but I have learned a lot about  what quality in a service business is all about.  I also under stand what a worker might go through as well.  The dignity and pride of provider and client are both important.  So I say to all wise magicians: take your magic wand to your problems and see if you can get a bit of lemonade out of them.  I find I can usually get a dinner table joke or conversation out of my suffering.  That is something, I hope.  But magical solutions are also possible.  Look for your chance to see opportunity is all things.  May the spark be with you.

Friday, October 25, 2013

The Magic of Focusing on the Small

So often we are told to look at the big picture, or to go beyond the big picture and think outside of the box.  That is often good advice.  But I say to all wise magicians, "What next?"  Part of setting goals is so decide on an action plan.  Plans involve steps.  Each step is a small part of the big whole.  Learn to take the step after the big picture and hone in on the small picture.  The left brain is thought to be out of the realm of magic but I believe that left and right brain work together to bring good things into your life.  Imbue those small steps, which might be tedious, with joy because of the reward they will eventually help us bring.  Pat yourself on the back for getting started.  Look for the small key that will unlock the door you need to enter. Search out the small limb that you can pull out of the log jamb to send those logs on down the river.  The center of a target is small.  Chipping away at your anxieties and blocks can be small victory by small victory.  When you bring your sense of joy or well being to small steps, small tasks, or small accomplishments, all these small things become glorious big things.  A small insight can unlock a door to a bigger world.  Don't get stuck on the small, but focus on it as a way to bring more magic into your life.  May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Magic of Filling Your Heart

The picture I often get from movies and Fairy Tales is that magic is for desperate times.  There is trouble or danger and out comes the magic wand.  This makes for good story telling but it skews a full understanding of magic.  Remember, magic is well formed.  That means that magic has a place in life when life is not on a desperate plane.  In fact, taking time to take in the good, to notice the wonderful things around us, to see the magical world we live in, will cause there to be less times of desperation.  If you have a hole in your heart from not feeling loved you may act in ways that are not good for you. Perhaps you will become greedy and try to amass things.  Perhaps you will do silly or stupid things to try to buy friends.  Instead you can do as Dr. Rick Hanson, author of "Buddha's Brain", and "Hardwiring Happiness", suggests and take in the good.  He teaches us to find a good fact, feel it, absorb it, maybe enrich it and let it become an inner resource for us.  We can notice that people speak to us in a friendly way and take that in.  When family members or loved ones give us attention we can take that in as a resource for feeling loved.  So I say to all wise magicians, it is a good idea to fill your inner resource bank before it gets empty. You are able.  You are lovable. Just the fact that you are aware of human needs shows that you have a sense of caring so turn that towards yourself.  Fill your heart with joy, comfort, satisfaction, love, or whatever you need.  Then times of desperation will not seem so bad.  May the spark be with you.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

The Magic of Allowing

So often we think of magic as that which saves us from a problem.  In the Disney film, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Mickey was tired of carrying all those heavy buckets of water.  That was why he bewitched the brooms to do it for him.  Of course that caused him even more trouble. The moral is that reactive magic can get out of control, or not be right for the job.  I think of magic as whatever we do to make our life better.  So we don't want disruption. We are looking for calmness and healing.  Good is the baseline.  Disease and tension are the anomaly. But we may not always see the good.  We do have things come into our life that cause tension, fear and worry.  If that happens often enough we tend to see the dark, to be anxious, more often than not.  Then the stress tension, cortisol, meant to give us energy to fight or flee, becomes toxic to us.  It is in our body more than we need and doesn't get burned off.  Dr. Rick Hansen has just released a new book, "Hardwiring Happiness".  It is an excellent book and easy to read.  He points out that every moment of calmness and having a feeling of well being allows the body to heal. I say to all wise magicians out there that one of the things that can bring about a feeling of well being is to allow an awareness of goodness to come over you.  Look out the window and see colors, movement, nature.  Allow the experience of goodness.  Let beauty and the fun of others surprise you.  Constantly allow all the wonder of the world to overcome you.  The world that was, is, and will be is full of joy and delight.  It is full of love and safety if you will allow awareness of that to sink in.  Allow magic and good to come to you. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Your Personal Magic Hat

When you have a hat on your head it is not easy to hang you head down.  There is something about a hat that makes you stand out.  I just looked at Google Images for Ascot hats.  Everyone who feels upper class enough to go to the races at Ascot wears a hat.  Some look very expensive and proper.  Silk top hats and all.  But even the men had some pretty wild hats.  It seems that an air of carnival is in the air. Some of the women's hats seem to be balancing acts.  One would certainly have to hold one's head high and proud to wear a hat like that.  So I suggest to all wise magicians that you get a hat.  It doesn't have to be real.  But a sorcerer's hat would be fun to have, wouldn't it?  What I am suggesting that you design a headpiece that is a symbol of all the wonderful, magical things you are and to which you aspire.  I have been doing some art therapy sessions at a shelter for homeless women.  This week we are going to make tiny hats to symbolize our Shom, or shoulder mom, the wise loving part of our self that encourages us to keep up the good fight.
Everyone could use a magical hat.  Think out one for yourself and wear it magically.  May the spark be with you.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

If Not Magic, Then Math

If you think of magic as a sudden burst of goodness and assurance of benefits, then you know of the times when magic does not seem close at hand.  But wise magicians know there are many ways to work magic.  The wise magician also knows that magic is always near, it is just a matter of finding the way to call it forth.  I have found that when you can't call forth that burst of joy, that fun of magic, you can resort to a more plodding way to work up to your joy.  Count the good things around you.  Surely there are interesting colors or patterns in your field of vision.  There may be at least three things that you are grateful for.  Be thankful for the air your breathe.  I believe the ancient magicians knew that you may have to prepare the way for magic.  That is why numbers are often associated with spells.  Count the small little steps you took to get ready to deal with a problem.  Even getting the courage to face an issue is worthy of a count.  Count your progress, your good memories, the ways you have worked magic in the past.  Add on the ideas that are probably now coming forth.  Subtract any urges you have towards negativity.  Divide your time between hope and confidence.  Multiply the benefits you will bring into your life and the whole world by your willingness to go for the good.  Play with numbers until you can wave a wand or your hand and bring forth magic.  May the spark be with you.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Magic is in the Moment

Monsters are big.  Even the monsters that hide in your closet or under your bed are big.  Magic bullets that can wipe out those monsters are small, but very powerful.  All too often, when we are feeling that sense of being blocked, or having a bad case of the blahs, of wanting a change right now, it is because we are trying to think big in the wrong way.  We aren't looking at the "big picture" but looking at the "big worry".  One thing to do, at that moment, is to get in the moment.  There is magic in centering.  Breathe in, shift, breathe out.  Do this several times.  Tune into your senses.  Sometimes you have to talk to yourself to get in your senses.  Say to yourself what you are sensing with your ears, then with your eyes, then with your sense of position and so on. When you can go away from the words to just your senses you will feel relaxed and centered.  That is where the possibilities, the magic, are abiding.  One time I was driving on a winter road and ice caught my wheel.  This was on the side of a mountain above a reservoir.  I was blessed by time slowing down to molasses pouring from a jar left outside on a cold day.  I had plenty of time to get back in control of my vehicle.  My focus narrowed and I was not on the dangerous dirt road I had been on.  It was just me and my friend, my car.  I don't say to all you wise magicians out there that you should ignore the big picture.  That is a necessary focus at times.  But it is an initial focus.  Then you get in the moment and small miracle by small miracle you work your magic to make life better.  May the spark be with you.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Magic of Talking to Your Plants

On the surface you might say that talking to your plants is not magic but simply breathing out carbon dioxide, which plants breathe in, and taking in oxygen, which plants breathe out.  It is so much more.  When you talk to your plants you tend to voice your inner thoughts, which gives you direction for the actions you will take to work magic, or bring better things into your life.  Plus, being aware of plants makes you aware of your place in the cosmos.  You are not alone, but part of the web of life. Dialogue with your plants, the loving ears that are always there for you, is dialogue with your inner self.  This brings balance and wisdom to your life.  Remember, magic is well formed.  Talking things over with yourself is one way to discover how to form things in a good way.  So I say to all wise magicians out there,  find a plant to talk to or a tree to hug.  The life force they carry will energize you and help make your magic more well formed.  May the spark be with you.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Magic of Cross Training

"Cross Training" is a term from sports but it has handy applications for ordinary, or perhaps magical, life.  Cross training is when a skill you develop in one sport can be used in another sport. For working magic in your life you can take the skill of the aura or feeling that fits with one activity and take that aura to another activity.  For example, being lonely makes it hard for me to work by myself.  I'm just a little bit more enthusiastic about life when I'm around people I like.  So I soak up this enjoyment when I am around my favorite people.  It is a skill to be able to enjoy other people.  Then I bring this skill from the social game and let this golden aura help my solitary writing game.  I say to all wise magicians, look for things in one area of your life that help you function at a high level.  Then see if you can transfer that to another part to help you function in that other aspect.  Let's use magic in any way we can to win at this game of life.  May the spark be with you.

Monday, July 15, 2013

The Magic You Keep is the Magic You Grab

Being willing to reach out to make change is a form of working magic.  Action is a type of magic wand. Dreams and hope are good.  But to stand up and say, 'I am, I can, I will, I deserve it.' is what brings about the needed changes. Real magic doesn't live in a fairy tale world.  Ordinary people can bring about extra-ordinary change. But there are strong barriers.  Big lies are told to us and it is comfortable to believe them.  It takes courage, and a willingness to work magic, to question the lies.  We may not know they are lies.  But if you get in the habit of healthy doubt you will learn to have a sense of lies versus truth.  Lies often are told in an effort for the evil sorcerers to keep their power.  Denial of climate change is one such lie.  Right to work is another.  As if having good working conditions in a factory were a bad thing. Doubt every slogan and label that comes your way until you have checked it out.  Thinking, logically and critically, is the ultimate magic wand.  So I say to all wise magicians, go ahead and overcome your conditioning.  Bit by bit see what you can do to make this world a better place. Magic abounds.  May the spark be with you.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

The Magic of the Second Round

A championship boxer does not expect to win his fight in the first round.  It has been done but it is not the expectation.  The first round is for checking out the situation,  getting to know the opponent, so to speak.  We get the big idea, then we have all the energy from that big idea as inspiration.  Next we have to look at the big picture.  That is the first round of our boxing match with life.  The real heart of the boxer is revealed when, maybe with some aches and bruises, he climbs back into the ring.  The second, and subsequent rounds are where the attention to detail, the previous training and the character of the boxer take over. The magic is in climbing back into the ring and continuing with the task until that task is done, hopefully with the awards of championship.  I say to all wise magicians, if you quit early you have no chance of a win.  Climb back into the ring and continue the fight.  Go into your subject or task in greater depth.  You are a winner just by continuing the fight.  Keep on trying until you win.  May the spark be with you.

Monday, June 24, 2013

The Magic of Engineering

All too often we get an idea, a marvelous world improving idea.  We glory in the rush of adrenalin and dreams of a better future.  Hard on the heels of this happy idea is the tiring realization that between the idea and realization of the idea is a deep canyon.  The gap of not having a smooth road to this wonderful future can shut us down completely.  There are so many problems to solve, so much to discover that we may be in danger of giving up on our genius idea.  Fortunately for wise magicians we know to search for all the magic wands that humanity has discovered over the centuries.  One such magic wand is 'engineering'.  Engineering is the practice of planning, of astute problem solving, of building connections, of experimenting until we find a workable solution.  We can build bridges.  We can make connections.  We can see what works.  Look at the great engineering marvels of the ages.  The cathedrals, the dams, the great bridges, the canals, were not built in only a day.  Nor did the builders give up on finding a solution.  New techniques were created when needed.  Knowledge was shared.  Many people worked together.  So I say to all wise magicians out there: "Cherish your idea and engineer a way to bring it to fruitful reality.  May the spark be with you."

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Let Magic Find You

Recently I was feeling that edginess that makes me want to feel a spark or magic, to be aware of the sacred that mixes in with the mundane in our world.  I was at work so I couldn't go make a phone call or listen to music or do anything to draw magic to me except in my thoughts.  I let my mind wander in search of joyous thoughts.  I thought how nice it would be to visit with my favorite three year old little boy.  Suddenly I no longer had to search for magic.  It had found me.  Not only did I experience the joy of love for that child, I was also open to an understanding of the resources that humanity has.  Each person has the ability to love and feel that life is sacred and divine.  So I say to all wise magicians that you do not always need to seek to work magic.  Magic is and it will seek and find you if you will be still and allow it to come to you.  Part of the need I was feeling for magic came from several days of observing a co-worker who causes discomfort to others because of her problems with her ego.  I was musing on how shallow humanity might be and how I wondered about inner resources people may have.  After I had felt the joy of magic I became reassured that an appreciation of the spark of magic, an awareness of the sacred, is possible.  Magic to life is like salt to food, it is a wonderful flavor enhancer.  Later I spoke to the man who is the brunt of this woman's jibes and I again felt the spark when his eyes lit up at my gift of understanding to him.  I saw I had added to his sense of self-hood.  That also gave me a lift.  So, if you need a bit of magic today, be still and allow it to find you.  May the spark be with you.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

The Magic of Review

There is a tradition of the creative one looking at that which was created and finding it good. It is always good to take joy in one's creations.  But what about the times of dissatisfaction, when one needs to draw down magic?  That is a time when review can also bring forth magic.  Review is sometimes going back to square one, back to the drawing board.  Sometimes it is just looking for the places you need to tweak.  But if you take the willingness to start over to every review you will have a sense of freshness.  Be willing to move back down to a lower step to find what worked.  When you are safely at the platform of what worked you have gained a bit of comfort.  You know that things can work.  Then you can go forward from there.  Going forward might mean taking advice, re-evaluating your efforts, even accepting that you have to make some big changes.  Acceptance can be hard but if you are in a safe place when you have to do it, it isn't so hard after all.  You want to work magic.  Magic is well formed.  If you are pushing beyond what can be supported or work smoothly, review will help you recognize that. You have freed yourself from anxiety by finding the platform of what works.  Now you can look for what has to be newly created in order to move forward.  A side bit of magic, or energy that will fuel further efforts is the joy of discovery of self that comes from review.  You will find yourself saying, "That was pretty good, wasn't it?".  So I say to all wise magicians out there, when you feel the need for a bit of magic, for the spark that will ignite a greater flame, try review as a magic wand.  Review where you are.  Explore what is.  You may find delights and ideas beyond what you expected.  May the spark be with you.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Slow Magic: Silver Linings

Over the winter I had a slightly negative situation in my living conditions.  I'm too busy to bother with a lot of bitching and nit picking, so mostly I just tried to do some teaching and go with the flow. A few weeks after this less than perfect roommate snuck out in the middle of the night I slowly began to see silver linings in the dark clouds he had left behind. I saw business opportunities I hadn't seen before.  Two other family members also found new doors opening up to them.  I began to wonder if there isn't a phenomenon that could be called slow magic.  So often the quick flash of a magic wand is what we think of when we think of magic.  We want to cause better things is life right away.  But sometimes things need to sit and simmer on the back burner.  So I suggest to all wise magicians out there, you may already have a cauldron of magic cooking away.  Discover it and stir it so it doesn't burn. Ideas and opportunities abound.  Find the magic in storm clouds and use it.  May the spark be with you.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

I Think, Therefore I Am Magical

Cogito ergo sum. I think therefore I am.  This is attributed to Emmanuel Kant, an important German philosopher.  I believe that in a life that is more than existence the wise magician does something all the time to make life better. They are aware.  They think about what they are doing.  This is where meta cognition becomes one of the magic wands a wise magician can use. Meta cognition is the act of thinking about thinking.  The most recent place I saw it mentioned was in a national journal for music teachers.  The author said that students must be taught to think about the way they think in order to get the most out of their practice.  They must be aware of the attitudes that they hold as they are practicing as that will influence the quality of their practice.  Simple repetition may strengthen mistakes in their playing but if they are monitoring their practice they will spot the mistakes, correct them and also find ways to add qualities such as better interpretation to their work. So I suggest to all wise magicians: Think and be--think and act and create a magical life. When you are aware of your thinking you can modify it and enhance it in ways that can lead to fruitful actions.  Be magical.  May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Ideas About Ritual

Ritual can be a magical tool or it can be a deadening activity which insulates us from truly being alive.  When magic comes into our life by invitation we participate in the world more fully.  Simple things can become richer and give us comfort and freedom from stress.  Think about the difference between "dining" and "grabbing a bite".  It could be the same food, but the experience will be vastly different.  I believe that rituals can also be developed  that comfort us and get us ready to face difficult tasks.  One of my friends recently told me how she makes sure she has beautiful stamps with hearts or flowers on them when she is paying bills.  Then she sends the payments out with gratitude for having enough money to pay the bills and for the products and services she enjoyed that caused the bills.  She claims this ritual has drawn abundance to her.
Since I see a lot of abundance in her life I believe she may be right.
Ritual can be an aspect of planning and being in charge of our life.  By being self-directed, by looking to the future and creatively making decisions that bring a better life to us we are working magic.  The way we celebrate this, the rituals we develop to affirm that this is our mind set, support us in doing this magic.  Choose colors, choose symbols, choose times for your activities that support you in celebrating and living a fuller life.  These rituals can be simple.  When I feel anxiety I thank my inner self  by being open to the need for a better life.  This helps me claim my power and affirms that I am not helpless before the feeling of anxiety.  I suggest to all wise magicians that you add a ritual or two of celebration to your life.  May the spark be with you. 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

The Magic of Why

If you were told to quit asking so many questions when you were a child I hope you didn't listen.  Why is a wonderfully magic word.  On one level it can lead to a lot of fun.  Asking why without expecting a scientific answer leads to a larger world of fantasy.  Why is the moon yellow?  Because it is made of cheese.  Why do I have a nose?  So I can pull it off your face and show it to you between my fingers. Why do cats purr?  They have to maintain their flying motor for the one night a year when they ride on the back of a witch's broom across the sky.
Another benefit of asking why is you do find out a lot.  Sometimes you notice something but need to focus on it a bit more.  You will be called to ask why and you will answer yourself.  But that will have gained you a fuller understanding.
When you are trying to communicate with another person you have to be very careful of how you use the word why. If you were to say, " Why are you being such a meanie?" when the person is not actually trying to be mean you may trigger them into meanness.   Labels are dangerous.  But if you were to say that you noticed they had lines on their forehead, and that they were speaking differently, you might be perceived as caring about their mood and they would welcome a chance to share. Ask why of yourself first.  Why and what.  Then find gentle ways to check it out with the other person.  I popped my husband on the arm years ago because I was brokenhearted he had to leave town.  He wrapped his arms around me in a hug before he asked me why I popped him. That made me love him more and want him to stay even more.  But the why open up magic for us. I say to all wise magicians: do ask questions.  They lead to shifts in focus and to answers.  Often the best way to question is to ask the questions of yourself.  Why and why not?  May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Magic of Tiny Things

There's snow on the ground and I'm wondering how to bring a feeling of well being into my life.  I definitely need the magic of that zing and feeling content.  This is a season of big things.  Big storms, big problems in politics, big problems with health, big financial problems, big needs for improvement in ways we treat the earth and each other, big needs for maintenance and repair of our infra structure and things we have created.  The size of all these problems is almost too big to deal with.  But a wise magician does not turn away from the need for change, although it can be hard knowing where to start. But start we must or we will suffer from the guilt of holding back  There is help from the Nike slogan, 'Just do it'. Start tiny.  Very very tiny.  Meditate on a tiny thing.  Perhaps there is just one bit of visual beauty.  Make sure you focus on it.  Today I only saw two birds at the bird feeder.  But that was enough of a small good thing that my heart was peaceful and warm watching them.  Meditate by centering and focusing on tiny things.  Then go on to take one tiny step towards a better world.  I personally would be happy to see freight trains loaded with guns on the way to "be beaten into plowshares". That's too big for me but I might be able to help someone think a little more clearly about the lies they are hearing about the issues.  There might be a lot of little things I can do.  I will continue to recycle.  I will do the little things.  I will continue to energize myself by the little bits of magic I can create.  I will smile, I will enjoy the sunrise. I will plant seeds where I can.  I will bring magic to my life and to others. I hope each wise magician that reads my words finds a way to do the same.  May the spark be with you.

Friday, February 22, 2013

The Magical Power of Little Sparks

  I often feel that I need a bit of magic to get me through the day.  There may be many others out there who are just coping, just getting by.  A wise magician told me that they felt guilty at not being able to have a truly big successful, magical life.  I asked them if they had moments of love and deep satisfaction.  They said they did. Then they told me that when they do feel good they seem to be able to create big things, do wonderful work.  So I say to all you wise magicians out there: Don't worry about the big dramatic things.  Call up magic to craft your life day by day.  Give love to others and yourself.  Call out against abuse.  If you nurture the little sparks a wildfire will happen.  Grassroots movements have changed the world.  One way to help you cope is to talk things over with another.  You may feel you are dealing with deadwood but when you start a discussion clarity will come forth.  As you practice crafting and nurturing yourself and your life it will get easier and feel more natural.  Just standing up for good things by little words you are making the way clear for a wildfire of a better world to sweep across the wasteland.  Civil rights, education, women's rights,
end to corruption in government, fighting climate change.  Just speak up for your values as you will.  Every word, every thought helps. On a personal level you are setting sparks when you act to develop better habits. Don't moan over the need for big change.  Just start acting as if your sparks have caused it.  In the end they will.  May the spark be with you.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

There is Magic in Reminders

For a very, very long time people have been reminding themselves of things.  In the Old Testament of the Bible there is a passage that says to wear blue tassels to remind yourself to do good.  Strings around the finger, notes on a calendar, alarm clocks, wake up calls are some of the ways we remind ourselves to be responsible.  But I am proposing a higher type of responsibility today.  I believe we are responsible to ourselves to love and encourage ourselves.  I believe that self appreciation is magical.  I have created what might be called an imaginary friend that I call a SHOM or Shoulder Mom.  She sits on my shoulder and tells me how wonderful I am and what a good person I am for trying to do things.  I suggest to all wise magicians out there that you could also create a way to further your self appreciation.  Perhaps you might just go over the good you have done during the day, or appreciate the pitfalls you have avoided every evening.  The possibilities are endless.  Remind yourself that you are wonderful and resourceful.  Do this often and well.  It will make your life more magical.  May the spark be with you.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Magic of Being 'Locked in"

Much of the time creative people are in different stages of bringing forth their creative work.  Unfortunately, some of this work doesn't actually see the light of day. This can be for various reasons, but the most common one is that the motivation that comes from an idea being new fades as you work on it.  There may need to be a lot of new ideas brought forth to get that particular project finished but over all, the work involved in creativity can just get old.  But take heart, wise magicians, there is hope.  Once in a while magic comes into play and we get totally committed or 'locked in' on a project.  When that happens it is easy to doggedly keep after solutions and find time to work.  Because it doesn't happen all the time I suggest that when it does you visit how it feels.  That feeling of being 'locked in' on something will become a resource for you.  Tuck that sense of 'locked in' away in your achievement tool chest.  Then if you have a project that is important but is fading call up that experience of 'locked in'.  It is quite energizing.  No waffling back and forth about 'should I or shouldn't I?'  You just are going to get it done, no matter what comes your way or for whatever reason you have or don't have.  It is yours, you have chosen it and you are doing it.  No outside considerations.  I hope you can experience the magic of being 'locked in' on a lovely creative gem.  May the spark be with you.