Where are the magic makers?
On a late winter walk along a wooded path, amidst fallen dead branches, dried out leaves, and bare patches of dirt, a burst of brilliant yellow caught my eye. Not one, but two flowers, heralding the turn of season. How could this be? Despite the still cool temps and the illusion of inhospitable growing conditions, there they were. Two gorgeous, healthy blooms. A bit of magic. Something of beauty materialized, unexpected, and that appearance enchanted me and lifted my spirits with new energy. A change is coming.
Fast forward to a recent experience where I was facilitating and coaching a group of four women executives from around the world as part of a week-long leadership forum. On the first day, I asked them their intention for the experience. One member responded that she wished that the time together was magical. This word evoked widespread resonance with the others who nodded their heads in agreement. “What does magical look like?”, I asked. They described gaining meaningful insights (“I’ll have some kind of ah-ha” or “I’ll know what to do next”) and having an authentic connection with the other participants.
At the end of the week, I asked them if their wish for magic had come true. They said it had, sharing moving testimonies around what they had become aware of through the conversations and what they felt in terms of presence, support, and inspiration from the others. “You are my tribe”, one of them voiced. I shared with them that together they had co-created that magic. The power and potential for magic lie in each of them, as it does in each and every one of us.
But what is magic in the context of everyday life? One description of magic is “the art of changing consciousness”. The Oxford Dictionary then defines consciousness as "[t]he state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings", "[a] person's awareness or perception of something". If then magic represents a change in what we perceive around us (the outer world) or within us (the inner world: thoughts, feelings, sensations), the pull towards or yearning for magic reflects a desire to shape the “reality” we perceive to be more in line with our deepest longings.
Often these are wishes from the heart. Sometimes that wish is known by us but unspoken. Sometimes we are not aware of its presence; it is tucked away in our subconscious. The wish can be for hidden wisdom or new knowledge: an insight, an idea, a direction or way to head, an understanding. A wish to be seen in a certain way -- or to be seen and heard, period. A wish for a meaningful connection with another. A wish for a healing or a resolution. A wish for a transformation or a plot twist, where something you thought was over blooms again. A wish for an experience that sparks a particular quality, like joy, love, an inner calm, hope, wonder or beauty.
I hold magic as possibility, manifested. Possibility we wish for but a part of us doubts its ability to materialize or the presence of it all together. Our conditioning trains us of its supposed rarity. That is why, I believe, we often have an emotion-laden response (shock, tears, delight, awe) in the face of experiencing something we then call magical.
So why am I writing about magic and why now?
The context that as a world we find ourselves in.
When I recently re-read a poem by a favorite poet, mentor, and friend, Stuart Kestenbaum, magic came to mind. Following is Stuart’s beautiful invitation to us all in “Holding the Light”:
Gather up whatever is glittering in the gutter, whatever has tumbled in the waves or fallen in flames out of the sky, for it’s not only our hearts that are broken, but the heart of the world as well. Stitch it back together. Make a place where the day speaks to the night and the earth speaks to the sky. Whether we created God or God created us it all comes down to this: In our imperfect world we are meant to repair and stitch together what beauty there is, stitch it with compassion and wire. See how everything we have made gathers the light inside itself and overflows? A blessing.
Stuart’s words called forward me the image of those defiant yellow flowers and of that electric conversation with the group of women. Amid the dead leaves, branches, and pine needles, two flowers emerge triumphant. Over a handful of hours together, four strangers from around the world forge a sisterhood and revealed inner truths.
Stuart writes that even if a part of us sees darkness, chaos, uncertainty, and brokenness in the world, a radiant light, too, is always present. That light is the kindling for magic.
What does it take to bring more of the experience of magic in your life? It doesn’t require you to become Harry Potter. It does involve shifting to a particular mindset, a mindset of possibility.
A timeless book I read years ago introduces such a lens through which to view life. The Art of Possibility (*) by Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander explores the concept and practical applications in work and in life. In a nutshell, a key facet is this: the dominant societal and cultural context that we find ourselves in is what Rosamund and Ben call “the world of measurement”. It is anchored in competition (particularly win-lose) and scarcity. The dynamics of this fear-driven world constrain our thinking, drain our energy, and limit the collaborative potential with other humans to fully tap collective resources. Translation: not particularly fertile ground for magical moments.
In contrast, if we shift our stance to anchor in “the universe of possibility”, collaboration and abundance are the norm. In this world, creativity and connection flourishes as a result of more openness, more compassion, more love. And in the presence of that, we are filled, renewed, healed. I see these qualities as the fundamental “compost” to create the conditions for the experience of magic.
So what can you do to cultivate more of a possibility mindset? One of the biggest capacities I partner with my clients on is curiosity. In cultivating curiosity, you open up your mind to alternative stories and perceptions, all of which shape your lived experience. You expand your focus, taking in more information, noticing more things. You look past a story you’re telling yourself about a particular person to consider and explore other truths and facets of who they are and why they are. Questions that I particularly love to spark curiosity are: “What if…” or “What am I not seeing?” or “What is the story that I am telling myself in this moment, and how is that limiting? What other stories are also possible, stories that are expanding?” and “What is the part of me that resists this lens?”
You, dear reader, are a magic maker. That capacity exists in all of us humans. For some it is latent, for others it is actively resourced and unleashed. A step into amplifying it is increasing the awareness of the mindset in which you are ‘coming from’ in relating to a situation or other people. Practice the shift into a possibility mindset and notice what you notice. For if you create the fertile conditions and you then look for magic, you will find it. It is all around.
And that is the kind of world I choose to live in.
*If you choose to follow the link and purchase a copy of The Art of Possibility (or a future book from Karin’s Bookshelf) from Bookshop.org, referral proceeds I realize from that sale will be directed to non-profit organizations that focus on early childhood literacy and development, something I am deeply passionate about. When you buy from Bookshop.org, you are supporting independent booksellers around the U.S. — which I see as an essential part of any vibrant, informed, compassionate and connected community.