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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Magic of Basic Things

There are two neuroscientists, Drs. Tanzai and Chopra, who are writing and speaking to us a lot lately about mindfulness.  They teach the importance of meditation, among other things.  It is amazing but when you get right down to it, what they are teaching is just the basic thing of being still and breathing.  There are many times in life when it is important to make sure the little basic things are right.  Like closing the door against the cold.  Like making sure your car is in the right gear.  Like making sure your have shoes on before you go out in the snow.  It seems that a lot of magic can be drawn to us by simply looking at and focusing on what is right in front of our face.  In fact, the panic we feel when we are in need of flow and zing, or magic, often comes from having our focus split off in unproductive ways.  So I say to all wise magicians out there, look for the basic and simple.  Endow it with magic and see if joy doesn't come to you. The simple technique of taking a good fact and giving it a good feeling which you then internalize is one way of doing this.  As I write this I can look out at the sunrise that is just starting.  Just a basic everyday thing.  But so profound and wonderful.  Allow awareness of basic things to come to you and enjoy the magic that will come with this awareness.  May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Expressing Your Opinion

The 'opinion' in the post title is not a quick parroted slogan you have swallowed from some one else.  But a well thought out and well stated opinion can have magical, far reaching effects.   Such a way of stating your opinion can build your confidence and get you quoted down through the years.  Gandhi, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, and Albert Einstein are just a few of the people who have influenced the people of the world to work for a better life.  They did not call names.  They listened and cared.  Then they said what was important with courage. If you are on Facebook you can start out by making a small comment on posts that others put up.  You can start in your family by frowning when some one says something too far off the wall.  Keep at it until you gain your voice.  What you care about matters.  But so does what others care about.  Opinions, expressed as opinions, but well stated can lead to true dialogue.  In time, sometimes it
actually takes decades but it can happen, improvements in life come about. I just read about the amazing amount of lynchings that used to take place in America.  But people began to push back and, expressing their opinions about the evilness of that, in about thirty years times, lynchings became very rare. If you don't like this insane gun violence going on in our nation, tell someone.  I say to all wise magicians out there "You have values and a good inner sense of goodness or you wouldn't be a wise magician.  So express your opinions and let the magic begin."  May the spark be with you.