The Magic Of Facing The Niggles

We are told that we should be introspective. I suspect that could have a bunch of pitfalls. For one thing it is easy to focus on yourself when you are feeling insecure. It is easy for the self-talk to become a litany of our faults and failures. I can imagine someone sitting down to have some time of introspection and falling into a situation of 'paralysis by analysis', as well. But since magic sometimes comes to us in small delightful ways I suggest we not worry about being "introspective" as such. I suggest we just go about our daily lives in trust that magic is there for us in many ways. One way that the field of magic helps us is that we have small niggling thoughts about some situation we should face. Before the situation is a potential disaster the niggling thoughts come to us. That is the time to stop and confront them. Maybe we have almost noticed that our clothes are fitting a bit more tightly. Just a niggling little thought. If we spend all the energy it takes to ignore that niggle, if we go into denial, we will be moving towards a worsening of the situation. But if we become courageous enough to weigh or measure ourselves we have a good chance of getting on top of the situation before it gets out of hand. Then we have the good feeling that we did something good for ourselves, as well as the benefit of dealing with a potential problem before it became a big problem in reality. Or a bigger one. Niggles are hunches with a difference. Hunches can be one time things. Niggles will keep at us until we crack one way or another. So I suggest to all wise magicians that you name your niggles and treat them like the friends they are. May the spark be with you.

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.

The Magic Of Self Monitoring

I have recently read about research that has shown the simple act of keeping a food journal alone will cause a person to lose weight. Shining attention on something is a great magic wand. In another example we can look to Benjamin Franklin. He is said to have carried cards with him that he would read from time to time to remind himself of the virtues or good character traits he was trying to develop in himself. A lot of good things have been said about journaling but I always thought it was to explore one's spiritual and/or emotional development. I guess if you manage to loose weight your healthier body will be host to a healthier more spiritual mind. How should you self monitor? You can tally, you can tell friends, you can keep a log, you can get things written down by a professional, or you can interpret your gains creatively. What ever you do must be right for you. Just know that awareness is a magic wand. Let yourself be aware of how you are progressing, what you need to do to keep this progress going, and whether the actions you are taking are working or not. Hook into the magic around you to help you gain this needed self awareness. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Pillows

It is a magical thing that we have pillows. Pillows to prop us up, to comfort us, to help us sleep. So much better than a saddle or stone to lay our head on. Some practical magician at some point in human history took the magic wand we all have, the ability to be creative and solve problems, and developed a pillow. We all benefit. Someone else discovered in the sand under a hot fire the fact that glass comes from that sand being melted. One thing lead to another and this morning I had the magical experience of looking through a pane of glass at a squirrel. I watched him sneak along the fence with his shoulders down, constantly looking at the ground on the other side of the fence. Then the squirrel suddenly went high tailing it, and they do run with their tails up, back along the fence the way he had come. I could hear the neighbor's dogs until the squirrel was clear at the back of the yard. Evidently no stolen dog food for him. How magical it is that I have windows of glass that allow me to see fun things like this. How grateful I am for all the practical magicians who have hooked into the energy of the magic that is around them to invent and develop things, thus making their life and mine better. May you do the same for yourself in some way. Little daily acts of creativity make life better. May the spark to do so be with you.

The Magic Of Flexibility

Several times I have heard the mantra "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day". Retreat, regrouping, trying another solution, there are many ways to talk about flexibility. Flexibility is doing what it takes to reach your goal. If your goal is a good relationship with a person, it does not do to try to win arguments at any cost. Flexibility is a position of strength, not stupidity. Another mantra I have heard is: "If you keep on doing what you've always been doing, you'll keep on getting what you've always been getting". To be flexible you have to be stronger than your fragile little ego. If you find yourself feeling at odds in the situation, whether it be with a person, a process, or an inanimate object it is time to start managing your mood. That is what the skilled magician does, manage the situation in which they find themselves. Flexibility is the willingness to try different attitudes, different behaviors, or different plans in order to achieve the desired result. Reach outside of yourself to the energy of the magic that surrounds you to define your goals and take actions to go after them. Be clear,practical and joyous. May the spark be with you.

Give Things A Chance To Work

When a magician works a spell he is considered inept if he has no idea what the spell is for. He is also inept if he changes his spell before the first has had a chance to work. "Of course," you agree. But have you ever reacted before you even knew if you had put in the right coins for the vending machine? Or started to ask for something better but not stated your request clearly to a friend or the universe, then felt as if your request was unfairly denied? The skillful magician makes sure requests(spells) are well made and then gives the request a chance to be heard. It is the same in healing. Many, many different things can interfere with healing. The right treatment or treatments must be found. Then, that which is causing the illness must be alleviated. The cause of illness may be one things but other things may be helping it hang on. All hindrances to healing must be pushed away. Sometimes in the search for success the final goal can not be stated. At that time the goal must be clarity or understanding. So, if your life is currently lacking in magical quality, reach out for that which is better for you. Craft your reach. Give each step a chance to work. Let magic work for you. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Effort

A lot of coaches have put up slogans in the gym like this: When the going gets tough,the tough get going. I'm sure many have seen it or had it quoted to them. It is worth thinking about. The extra bit of effort that you have to put out to keep your attention on your driving, to keep from giving up when you are learning something, to stay calm when you are trying to communicate and can't find the right words, to keep going when you are afraid it isn't going to pay off; all these various times you have to put out the extra push are more important than you know. To do the extra you have to reach down inside of yourself and gather up the strength you may not have known you had. If you practice acting on the principle "The little extra is far better than good enough" your life will greatly improve. Sometimes you may have to get a burst of energy to do the extra, other times it may be a matter of endurance. Whether you have to get a run on something or just hang in there, I urge you to put out the effort it takes to make things right, to put your signature on them. If you plan to lift a weight ten times, it won't hurt to go one or two more. If you meant to say hello to a neighbor, it won't hurt to truly smile and ask about their life. If you are doing something creative, it won't hurt to hunt for a way to add a bit of zing. The magic that surround you can help you with the energy to put out a good effort at what you do. You will enjoy the benefits. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Attention

"What you pay attention to grows" (Deepak Chopra, M.D. in Creating Health) This is similar to the ideas I discussed about practice: practice strengthens things whether in a negative or positive way. The things you focus on are important. If you give attention to negative thoughts they will grow. You will become more aware of them. You become more spiritual and healthy as you become more self aware. As you become more aware you are better able to make good choices. There are different kinds of and different levels of attention. A tight hovering kind of attention is less apt to be beneficial than a broad, relaxed attention. Our inner self will tell us when something is positive or negative, especially if we practice awareness to the inner voice. When you feel tight (or uptight, as is often the case) you can try to acknowledge that, then broaden your field of awareness. You can say to yourself, "I am able to take in a broader awareness, I am aware that I can choose to focus on something other than this. I can look for other colors, hear other sounds, be aware of other movements. I am my own magician and I can resist evil spells." Goals on which you focus are more apt to be reached. Health becomes more part of your life as you pay attention to it. Let the energy of magic help you guide your attention in wonderful ways. May the spark be with you.

Let Magic Help With Healing

The magician's calm and alert mindset will protect you from trauma and injury to a great extent. But when injury does happen you can use the spark of magic to facilitate healing. I do not use the term speed up healing, although it will speed it up in some cases, because each healing must happen in its own due time. One of the best uses of the spark is to help a person focus on the wound to see if they are re-wounding themselves, if they are picking at the scab before it has healed and fallen off by itself. Sometimes an injury becomes useful to a person and thus becomes something they are reluctant to give up. When the spark brings that to light that person can then find ways to find something else that is more useful to them than their injury. The little bit of light the spark brings does not set up that much resistance. Thus small cracks can be made in the concrete that has been put around this "useful dysfunction". Eventually the fortress will fall and healing will take place. The spark of magic is manifested in many ways. It is whatever brings a brief awareness of something better. When I was younger, and got winter colds more often, part of the healing I would give myself was to sit in front of a sunny window. The warmth and friendly feeling of the sun shining on me always seemed to speed up my return to health. It is the same with emotional healing, you need to find ways of letting the sun shine in. If you are consumed by guilt you will only be able to give yourself a few good minutes at a time. But the good that you still have to do in this world demands that you be happy and healthy. So the spark of magic that comes to you in brief flashes will help you find ways to heal, to lay down the burdens of the past and to accept a better life.