Wise people tend to say obnoxious things like, "There is nothing you need that you don't already have." When my lizard brain stops yammering long enough to allow my own wiser self through, I know this is true. Then my lizard brain calls my wiser self a pretentious twat, my wiser self calls my lizard brain a reptilian xenophobe, and the inside of my head turns into a philosophical bar brawl until I have to go sit in the corner and stare at a tree or something until they're done.

Magic Is Just Another Word For Paying Attention

My month o' magic experiment has been mostly about noticing. Uncovering what's already there. Prompting myself to hook into what's good right now - and think about how I can make more of that good, for myself and for others.

More Good For Me. Cause, Yeah. It's All About Me, Me, Me.

I've never done a life list. I believe in the power of words and I believe in the power of writing them down and I also believe that if I make such a list, I'll forget something crucial. Like...wearing pants. I'll merrily commit my life list to paper, forget to mention pants, and then I'll find myself exploring the salt flats of Bolivia and suddenly realize that I'm not wearing any pants and then the heavens will open up and a deep booming voice will say, "Hey, you got what you wanted. You. Salt flats. Bolivia. Awesome people. Paella. Now you want pants? YOU NEVER MENTIONED PANTS."

You say, don't be silly. I say, REAL FEAR.

Part of me is scared to commit what I want my life to be to paper. WHAT IF I FORGET SOMETHING AND THEN I NEVER GET TO HAVE IT?

Both my lizard brain and wise philosopher brain think I'm being stupid. Noted.

But as I think about what I want this next year to be, a few things keep circling back - things that feel right and compelling and a little scary in that "Hey, look, I think I might be growing" kind of way.

So I'll be writing about a few of them. Probably at great length, because why use four words when you can use four thousand? What they are, why I want them, how they'll smell, taste, and feel. Because writing things down and putting them on the budget and in the calendar means they're that much closer to reality.

Boom. Magic.