Curious about Magic: Do You Believe in It? Use It? Or Feel that It Is Baloney?

Definition of Magic: A comprehensive name for all of the pretended arts which claim to produce effects by the assistance of supernatural beings, or departed spirits, or by a mastery of secret forces in nature attained by a study of occult science, including enchantment, conjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, incantation, etc.

“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” - Colin Powell, American statesman

You are probably wondering why I, a believer in the Law of Attraction with a background in mathematics and science, would choose “magic” for this week’s theme. Well, I do believe that we make our own magic. We do have to believe that it will work and take Colin Powell’s formula to heart.

Each year, I like to set a theme for that year. Last year’s was “remarkable” and when I list all of the good and bad experiences in my 2009, it was a remarkable year – actually life changing in many ways. I suggest that you make a two column list – experiences on one side and what you gained and learned from the experience on the other side. What a magical eye opener!

So, why “magic?” One of my goals for this holiday window was to create a new blog to accompany the e-book I am writing about “How to Reap the Rewards of a Portfolio Career.” It is a wordpress.org blog, and I have been learning and grappling with the ins and outs involved. When I picked the domain name, I decided on www.MagicInTheMix.com because I feel that through this blog I will be able to encourage those who want to or are pursuing a Portfolio Career (many careers at the same time).

Down with the nay-sayers! I feel that with the right attitude, tools, and focus, that we will find “Magic in the Mix.” I know that I do already. Yes, I am even more determined than ever to have a magical year.

The quotations I found were many and showed that the experts vary in how they view magic. What about you? Here goes:

• “There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman
• “Words to me were magic. You could say a word and it could conjure up all kinds of images or feelings or a chilly sensation or whatever. It was amazing to me that words had this power.” - Amy Tan, American novelist
• “Real magic in relationships means an absence of judgment of others.” - Wayne Dyer, American psychologist
• “Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.” -
  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet
• “Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible.” - Carol Moseley Braun, American politician
• “Our time here is magic! It's the only space you have to realize whatever it is that is beautiful, whatever is true, whatever is great, whatever is potential, whatever is rare, whatever is unique, in. It's the only space.” – Ben Okri, Nigerian poet

And, some more with a little different twist:

• “Dream no small dream; it lacks magic. Dream large. Then make the dream real.” -
  Donald Wills Douglas, American aviator
• “Every great man, every successful man, no matter what the field of endeavor, has known the magic that lies in these words: every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.” - W. Clement Stone, American businessman
• “An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” –
  William Bernbach, American businessman
• “And where does magic come from? I think that magic's in the learning.” - Dar Williams, American musician
• “Genius is another word for magic, and the whole point of magic is that it is inexplicable.” - Margot Fonteyn, English dancer
• “I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” - J. B. Priestley, British writer

One more to chew upon:

“Believe in love. Believe in magic. Hell, believe in Santa Clause. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don't, who will?” - Jon Bon Jovi, American musician

So, do you believe in magic? And how about choosing a theme for 2010? Do you have one? Let me hear from you.

Curious about Meditation: Have You or Do You Practice It? How Does It Work for You?

Definition of Meditation: Close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation; reflection; musing. Thought; -- without regard to kind.

“Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end.” - Swami Sivananda, Indian philosopher

“Yoga is a great thing and meditation is also great to get connected to yourself more.” - Ziggy Marley, American musician

Both of the above quotations could be credited to me. If you had asked me a year ago if I meditated, I would have answered with an emphatic “no.” Even though I have heard and read how healing and important meditation is, I felt it was not for me. However, a large majority of those mentors I revere and follow practice meditation daily. And swear by it and its benefits.

Swami Sivananda’s reference to “pain” describes my first real attempt at meditation. I was attending a storyteller’s retreat and every morning before breakfast we would meet in the large front room of the lodge for 30 minutes of meditation. We would take our places on large floor pillows and were then expected to rid our minds of thoughts (totally impossible). I found out very quickly that this practice was terribly painful for me, even though I was and am fit and flexible.

In the past two years, I have been teaching a Yoga class for Seniors that has not only become quite popular, but has also convinced me of yoga’s power to make me and the other
participants feel wonderful, relaxed, and, yes, has also helped me “connect to myself” more. I am convinced that it results from the deep breathing and the meditative effect of the positions.

And then, two weeks ago I found the audio version of Mark Thornton’s book, Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy. Wow! I am following his rules and techniques for meditation – and I am meditating with joy. I now know why so many sing its praises.

While hunting through the meditation quotations, I found it interesting that the originators’ names were unfamiliar for the most part. Let’s share some:

• “This life that has been given to us as a gift, as such a precious gift. To really try to understand it, really try to recognize it, is the greatest meditation. Through the media of this Knowledge we can tap into our inner sources that are so beautiful.” - Prem Rawat, Indian yogi
• “Yoga introduced me to a style of meditation. The only meditation I would have done before would be in the writing of songs.” – Sting, British musician
• “Meditation is the soul's perspective glass.” - Owen Feltham, British author
• “The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation.” - Milarepa, Tibetan yogi
• “Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit.” - Jeremy Taylor, British clergyman
• “No great work has ever been produced except after a long interval of still and musing meditation.” - Walter Bagehot, English author

And three more for good measure:

• “The execution of any thing considerable implies in the first place previous persevering meditation.” - William Godwin, English writer
• “The seated lotus postures are an amazing way to go into meditation, or simply just to take a moment to ground oneself.” - Christy Turlington, American model
• “The more intense the nature of a man, the more readily will he find meditation, and the more successfully will he practice it.” - James Allen, British author

If you have meditated before, or are just interested in trying it out, I suggest getting a hold of Thornton’s book. Let me know how it works with and for you.

Curious about Empathy: How Important Is It to You? Do You Have It or Need to Work on It?

“When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.” - Susan Sarandon, American actress

“We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom, the empathy to understand what it's like to be poor or African-American or gay or disabled or old - and that's the criterion by which I'll be selecting my judges.” - Barack Obama, American President

I have been reading Daniel Pink’s fascinating “mind altering” book, “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.” Being more of a right brained person (creative, imaginative, artistic, and a storyteller), I am excited about Pink’s approach.

In his words, “The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind – computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”

Pink devotes a whole chapter to empathy, listing assessments, learning about facial expressions from Paul Ekman, evesdropping, playing an interactive “whose life?” exercise. He also suggests that we empathize on the job, take an acting class, get mind reading, don’t outsource our empathy, and volunteer.

I didn’t find many quotations using the word “empathy” but the ones I did find were all quite positive in flavor. Let me share a few:

• “There is also a natural and very, very strong empathy with the underdog, with people who have suffered, people who have been pushed around by foreigners in particular, but also by their own people.” - Lakhdar Brahimi, International Public Servant
• “True contentment comes with empathy.” - Tim Finn, New Zealand musician
• “If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.” - Daniel Goleman, American author
• “Learning is a result of listening, which in turn leads to even better listening and attentiveness to the other person. In other words, to learn from the child, we must have empathy, and empathy grows as we learn.” - Alice Miller, Swiss psychologist
• “Poets have to be sensitive to their audience, but it does not mean that they censor themselves. I realize my audience is diverse. Some will read with empathy and curiosity while others will take offense.” - John Barton, Canadian poet
• “The discoveries of how we can grow and the insights we need to have really come from the inside out. To have genuine empathy, not as a make-nice tool but as an understanding, is essential to the next step.” - Patricia Sun, American philosopher and communicator
• “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” - Meryl Streep, American actress

And one that should put a smile on your face:

“I have absolutely no empathy for camels. I didn't care for being abused in the Middle East by those horrible, horrible, horrible creatures. They don't like people. It's not at all like the relationship between horses and humans.” - Rachel Weisz, British actress

So, check yourself. How empathic are you? I also suggest reading this refreshing book by Daniel Pink. Let me know what you think.

Curious about the Element: What Is It? Have You Found Yours? Or Has It Found You?

“The Element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the Element, they feel most themselves, most inspired, and achieve at their highest levels.” From: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. - one of the world's leading thinkers and speakers on creativity and innovation, Robinson’s The Element is a breakthrough book about talent, passion, and achievement.

I chose this theme because I am in the middle of listening to the audio version of The Element and am completely blown away by the stories that Ken Robinson is sharing.

I have always been distressed to learn that so many people are working and/or living lives that they hate or find distasteful, because they don’t pursue their passions. So many of us have bought into doing what we are expected to do by society. Our parents and teachers mean well and really want the best for us.

Robinson describes the epiphanies that have spurred creatives to pursue what they love with a passion, despite the discouragement and negative reactions of others. Are you doing what you love – often using your natural abilities? I feel that it is never too late or too early to start.

I did not find many quotations that fit “element” the way Robinson defines it, but I did find many worthwhile quotations that I feel are worth reading. Here goes:

• That was a real learning element for me, because I realized that the more true you are to yourself, the more you will lose people.” - Bill Sienkiewicz, American artist
• “The essential element in personal magnetism is a consuming sincerity - an overwhelming faith in the importance of the work one has to do.” - Bruce Barton, American author
• “No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.” – Edward Hopper, American artist
• “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet
• “Time is the most precious element of human existence. The successful person knows how to put energy into time and how to draw success from time.” - Denis Waitley, American writer
• “Without the element of uncertainty, the bringing off of even, the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine, and eminently unsatisfying.” - J. Paul Getty, American businessman

And, some more for those of you who love quotations and learn from them as much as I do:

• “In theory there is a possibility of perfect happiness: To believe in the indestructible element within one, and not to strive towards it.” - Franz Kafka, Austrian poet
• “It is energy - the central element of which is will - that produces the miracle that is enthusiasm in all ages. Everywhere it is what is called force of character and the sustaining power of all great action.” - Samuel Smiles, Scottish author
• “I'm still excited at being at a microphone and talking to listeners. I love that. It's the most basic element of what I do and I still enjoy it very much.” - Bob Edwards, American journalist
• “A creative element is surely present in all great systems, and it does not seem possible that all sympathy or fundamental attitudes of will can be entirely eliminated from any human philosophy.” - Morris Raphael Cohen, Russian philosopher
• “Always in my books, I like to throw that rogue element into a stable situation and then see what happens.” - Jeanette Winterson, British novelist
• “An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more interesting, softer legends more soft.” - Walter Bagehot, English author

So, what do you think? Robinson has reinforced for me the importance of finding and pursuing our passion – and I do. Hooray!