Buttercup magic lures have been used for centuries as a way to attract and captivate people with their beauty and enchanting properties. These small yellow flowers have a delicate yet potent charm that is impossible to resist. Their magical allure is said to stem from their connection to the sun and its radiant energy. The main idea of buttercup magic lures is their ability to draw people in and create a sense of fascination and interest. This can be seen in various aspects of their use, such as in love spells and potions, where they are considered as a potent ingredient for attracting romance and passion. Similarly, in the realm of folklore and mythology, buttercups are often associated with fairies and are said to possess the power to bring good luck and fortune.

Alphabet of the Heart ; A Mindful Approach to SEL

The Alphabet of the heart was designed by educators for educators and is meant to inspire Compassion, Dignity, Equanimity, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Humility, Integrity, Justice, Kindness, and Love to influence a change in school climate and culture. It is a year-long outline of strategies, practices, and activities that focus on the strength and resiliency of the human being. It is for both adults and students.

The Alphabet of the heart was designed by educators for educators and is meant to inspire Compassion, Dignity, Equanimity, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Humility, Integrity, Justice, Kindness, and Love to influence a change in school climate and culture. It is a year-long outline of strategies, practices, and activities that focus on the strength and resiliency of the human being. It is for both adults and students.

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Into the Magic Shop: The Alphabet of the Heart

Just as I had made a list of my goals so many years before, I made another list of ten. A list of the ten things that open the heart.

I sat with it. I read it over and over, and then I suddenly saw it as a mnemonic, CDEFGHIJKL. It was a way to remember each aspect of what I had learned. The alphabet of the heart. While I continued the components of the meditation practice that I was taught in the back of the magic shop so many years before, I began a new practice each morning of reciting this new alphabet. After relaxing my body and calming my mind, I would recite this alphabet and set one quality from the list of ten as my intention for the day. I said them in my head over and over again. I found that it centered me, not only as a physician but also as a human being. It allowed me to start my day with a powerful intention.

THE ALPHABET OF THE HEART

C: Compassion is the recognition of the suffering of another with a desire to alleviate that suffering. Yet to be compassionate to another, you must be compassionate to yourself. Many people beat themselves up by being hypercritical, not allowing themselves to enjoy the same kindness that they would offer to others. And until one is truly kind to oneself, giving love and kindness to others is often impossible.

D: Dignity is something innate in every person. It deserves to be acknowledged and recognized. So often we make judgments about someone because of how they look, or talk, or behave. And many times such judgments are negative and wrong. We have to look at another person and think, "They are just like me. They want what I want -- to be happy." When we look at others and see ourselves, we want to connect and help.

E: Equanimity is to have an evenness of temperament even during difficult times. Equanimity is for the good times and the bad times because even during good times there is a tendency to try to maintain or hold that feeling of elation. But trying to hold on to the good distracts us from being present in the moment just as trying to flee from the bad does. Grasping at that feeling of elation is not realistic, not possible, and only leads to disappointment. All such ups and downs are transient. Keeping an evenness of temperament allows for clarity of mind and intention.

F: Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts one can give to another. It is also one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves. Many have used the analogy that holding anger or hostility against another you feel has wronged you is like drinking poison and hoping it kills the other person. It doesn't work. It poisons you. It poisons your interactions with others. It poisons your outlook on the world. Ultimately, it makes you the prisoner in a jail where you hold the key yet won't unlock the door. The reality is that each of us in our lives has wronged others. We are frail, fragile beings who at various times in our lives have not lived up to our ideal and have injured or hurt another.

G: Gratitude is the recognition of the blessing that your life is -- even with all its pain and suffering. It takes little effort to see how so many in the world are suffering and in pain. People whose circumstances allow little hope of a better life. Too often, especially in Western society, we look at each other and feel jealous or envious. Simply taking a few moments to have gratitude has a huge effect on your mental attitude. . . . You suddenly recognize how blessed you are.

H: Humility is an attribute that for many is hard to practice. We have pride about who we are or what we have accomplished. We want to tell and show others how important we are. How much better we are than someone else. The reality is that such feelings are actually a statement of our own insecurity. We are searching for acknowledgment of worth outside of ourselves. Yet doing so separates us from others. It's like being put in solitary confinement, and it's a lonely place to be. It is only when we recognize that, like us, every person has positive and negative attributes, and only when we look at one another as equals, that we can truly connect. It is that connection of common humanity that frees us to open our heart and care unconditionally. To look at another as an equal.

I: Integrity requires intention. It requires defining those values that are most important to you. It means consistently practicing those values in regard to your interaction with others. Our values can easily disintegrate, and the disintegration can at first be imperceptible. If we compromise our integrity once, it becomes that much easier to do it again. Few start out with such intent. Be vigilant and diligent.

J: Justice is a recognition that within each of us there lives a desire to see that right be done. It is easier when we have resources and privilege to have justice. Yet, we need to guard justice for the weak and the vulnerable. It is our responsibility to seek justice for the vulnerable, to care for the weak, to give to the poor. That is what defines our society and our humanity and gives meaning to one's life.

K: Kindness is a concern for others and is often thought of as the active component of compassion. A desire to see others cared for with no desire for personal benefit or recognition. The extraordinary thing is that research is now finding that your act of kindness not only benefits those who receive your kindness but benefits you as well. The act of kindness ripples out and makes it more likely that your friends and those around you will be kinder. It is a social contagion that puts our society right. And ultimately kindness returns back to us, in the good feelings it generates and in how others treat us . . . with kindness.

L: Love when given freely changes everyone and everything. It is love that contains all virtues. It is love that heals all wounds. Ultimately, it is not our technology or our medicine but our love that heals. And it is love that holds our humanity.

This mnemonic connects me to my heart and allows it to open. It allows me to begin each day with intention and purpose. And throughout the day, when I am stressed or feel vulnerable, it centers me in the place I wish to be. It is the language of my intention. It is the language of the heart.

Excerpted from "Into the Magic Shop"
Copyright © 2017 James R. Doty.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

James Doty, MD is a clinical professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University, where he also serves as director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). Dr. Doty is also an inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He serves as Chairman of the Board at the Dalai Lama Foundation, Vice-Chair of the Charter for Compassion International, and is on the International Advisory Board of the Council for the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Dr. Doty authored the New York Times bestseller Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart.

Into the Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty MD: the magic in mindfulness and compassion

Into the Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty, founder and director of The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), captivates from the first page and continues at an unrelenting pace through Doty’s life, beginning with a disadvantaged childhood to his current work as a leader in the field of compassion training. The book opens with a searing description of brain surgery he conducted on a 4-year-old, intense not because of any tired trope about blood and gore but in how it stands as a practice of the heart. This is Doty several years away from the pivotal point in his life: a 12-year-old discovering from a loving presence the mind’s ability to transform itself.

As a magic-loving 12-year-old, he meets a woman named Ruth in a magic shop; she sees in him both the potential for compassion and the risk for doing damage to himself and others. As with all great teachers, Ruth begins to plant the seeds that will shelter and nurture his potential for the former, giving him a compass to navigate the damage he (and we all) eventually do in life as we stumble about. His “magic” lessons from Ruth form the practice points in the book and are essentially mindfulness practices of awareness of breath and body. But 12-year-old Jim is hardly interested in spiritually transcending his poverty-stricken and trauma-laced life. He has a plan for his life: getting away from his hometown of Lancaster CA, an alcoholic father, and a suicidal mother frozen by depression and a stroke.

After the six weeks with Ruth, Doty’s life story unfolds as a tale of sheer, uncompromising determination. “That’s unacceptable” becomes the knife blade cutting through the obstacles in his path to become a surgeon. Although the arc is set by his own dreams as a pre-adolescent, the lessons transmitted by Ruth emerge making this a moral tale that winds through the chapters of Doty’s life. Of the many lessons and warnings (many he doesn’t understand and therefore fails to heed), these are the most powerful:

“(T)his last (magic) has the power to give you everything you think you want. Unfortunately, because it can give you everything you think you want, it can be dangerous. You need to understand that what you think you want isn’t always what’s best for you and others. You need to open your heart to learn what you want…”

Whether we’re reading Doty’s life as a tale of hope that we can overcome disadvantage or taking up the practice of mindfulness and compassion as a means of salving our own pain, Ruth’s message is crucial. Real faith in magic is to learn that what we want – be it peace, serenity, money, fame, acceptance -may not come to us in a form that is in our best interest. In other words, the lesson imparted by blind faith in magic is that it inevitably fails us. Subtly, Ruth is pointing to the near enemies or the dark side of contemplative practices that are taken up without the intention to change our tendency to grasp at pleasing or reject painful experiences. As Doty writes, “Experiencing pain can be a gift if one learns from the pain. But when one needlessly causes pain and suffering, not only to oneself but to others, it is neither enobling nor fair to those who are sharing the path with you.” Moreover, avoiding pain can be protective but it leads to a self-concept that feeling pain means we are less than who we want to be.

“I remembered Ruth once telling me that just because something is broken doesn’t mean everything is broken.”

After many losses, Doty learns this: his history of physical and emotional impoverishment is not a life sentence. His parents’ lives are entwined with his as he struggles to get through college while resolving their crises. His life, at its pinnacle of success, takes a downward spiral into bankruptcy; but he remembers the simple fact that he can still work. His family suffers from his merciless schedule and relationships founder. Aware of the risk markers he has in his developmental years, Doty notes that an impoverished background often predicts a poor outcome in later life.

Child development researcher Norman Garmezy and his colleagues published many such studies in the 1990’s including the exploration of resilience. A 2007 Canadian study here points to several physical and mental impact of poverty on child development such as obesity, mental health issues, injuries, early infant mortality. A recent WHO study (risks_to_mental_health_EN_27_08_12; table below) points to mental health issues related to adverse factors. A 2015 study here links childhood adversity to later risk for depression. A powerful examination of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, its outcome predictors and treatment programs is available here (ACES presentation) in very readable format.

In other words, the deck was hugely stacked against a small child with little to no emotional support getting the outcomes Doty envisioned for himself. And yet, he did, eventually learning the greatest magic of all. He remember Ruth’s words:

“Compass of the heart….

Each of us in our lives experiences situations that cause pain. I call them wounds of the heart. If you ignore them, they won’t heal. But sometimes when our hearts are wounded that’s when they are open. Frequently it is the wounds of the heart that give us the greatest opportunity to grow. Difficult situations. Magic gift.

Your heart is a compass, and it is your greatest gift. Jim. If you’re ever lost, you just open it up, and it will always steer you in the right direction.”

Ruth had given him the most important magic lesson. Without an open heart, Doty writes, “mindfulness and visualization” can increase “focus and help us make decisions more quickly”. But “without wisdom and insight (opening the heart) the techniques can result in self-absorption, narcissism, and isolation.”

Perhaps the most potent message Doty sends through this intimate biography and teaching of the power of practice is this:

Integrity requires intention. It requires defining those values that are most important to you….

This path will take you to life’s deepest and darkest valleys where you will see how trauma and disease destroys lives, and sadly you will see what one human is capable of inflicting upon another and even more sadly what one human is capable of inflicting on himself.

Whatever you practice, may it bring you what your wish for yourself dearly. May it make transparent the true intention and clarify the values you hold dear. May it break your heart open.

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Book: Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart

Similarly, in the realm of folklore and mythology, buttercups are often associated with fairies and are said to possess the power to bring good luck and fortune. One of the key aspects of buttercup magic lures is their association with the element of fire. It is believed that their vibrant yellow color and petals that resemble flames give them a strong affinity to fire-related rituals and spells.

Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
By James R. Doty MD

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Growing up in the high desert of California, Jim Doty was poor, with an alcoholic father and a mother chronically depressed and paralyzed by a stroke. Today he is the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, of which the Dalai Lama is a founding benefactor. But back then his life was at a dead end until at twelve he wandered into a magic shop looking for a plastic thumb. Instead he met Ruth, a woman who taught him a series of exercises to ease his own suffering and manifest his greatest desires. Her final mandate was that he keep his heart open and teach these techniques to others. She gave him his first glimpse of the unique relationship between the brain and the heart.
Doty would go on to put Ruth’s practices to work with extraordinary results—power and wealth that he could only imagine as a twelve-year-old, riding his orange Sting-Ray bike. But he neglects Ruth’s most important lesson, to keep his heart open, with disastrous results—until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him. Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us how we can fundamentally change our lives by first changing our brains and our hearts.

When used in combination with other fire-aligned elements, such as candles and incense, buttercup magic lures are thought to enhance their effectiveness and create a more powerful and compelling energy. Another important aspect of buttercup magic lures is their connection to the sun and its life-giving energy. The vibrant yellow color of the buttercup is often seen as a symbol of the sun's warmth and vitality. This association with the sun makes buttercups a popular choice for rituals and spells that are focused on bringing positivity, success, and abundance into one's life. In conclusion, buttercup magic lures possess a captivating enchantment that has been recognized and utilized for centuries. Their ability to attract and fascinate people with their beauty and charm makes them a significant element in various rituals and spells. Whether used in love spells or rituals to bring luck and fortune, buttercups continue to be a powerful symbol of magic and allure..

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