Do you believe in magic? This captivating question has fascinated humanity for centuries. Magic holds an enchanting allure, evoking images of mysticism, wonder, and the supernatural. Some individuals ardently embrace the concept of magic, firmly believing in its existence and potential. Others remain skeptical, requiring empirical evidence before accepting such phenomena. Those who believe in magic argue that it is a powerful force permeating the world. They hold that magic can help achieve extraordinary feats beyond the realm of conventional understanding.
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I think one of the reasons people struggle with creating belief in the impossible is because as a society, we re moving away from believing in magic. They come to me for support and encouragement as they work to overcome their self-doubt so they can move forward towards the things they desire most, often a reflection of their childhood dream.
They hold that magic can help achieve extraordinary feats beyond the realm of conventional understanding. Spells, potions, and rituals are seen as conduits through which individuals can tap into this hidden power and manipulate their surroundings. Supporters often cite personal experiences, claiming to have witnessed unexplainable events or felt the presence of magic guiding their lives.
Do You Believe In Magic? How Make-Believe Influences Our Dreams.
Have you ever had the experience when you were sharing with another person your BIG, audacious dream. you know the “shoot to the moon” kind of dream. and then while you’re soaring high on the idea of it all, you’re quickly grounded by a comment “That is unrealistic.” or “It will never happen.”
I recently had that kind of experience. I was talking with a couple of leaders about how I might help their team dream BIG and create an action plan to move closer to their dreams. Ultimately, we wanted to create an experience where people would leave feeling empowered and believing in possibility. But one leader burst the bubble by wanting to make sure that whatever dreams the team had were realistic. She believed that by allowing the team to believe anything was possible we would be supporting a falsehood and they would ultimately feel disappointed. My response was “So you want to disappoint them ahead of time? You want to take away the magic of dreaming and believing, the fun and excitement of possibility?”
This conversation got me thinking about believing and the magic of possibility which led me to Memory Lane. When I was young my sisters and I would make-believe all sorts of things from Barbies to babies to playing out roles and scenes. I recall pretending to be the head of the orphanage (Miss Hannigan to be exact), a teacher, a professional downhill ski racer, a Broadway ballerina, a nurse, a mother, a Baywatch lifeguard…. I came up with countless ways that we had imagined we were someone different than who we actually were.
As a parent, I’ve played make-believe with my daughters, finding myself on all fours pretending to be their horse as I give them a ride around town. I’ve been a dog, a dog owner, a scary monster, the Queen, a deer… Their favorite is when I pretend to be a fruit-smoothie connoisseur. They play the role of their favorite fruit and I peel, cut, and squeeze them before putting them into the blender where they get mixed with ice, yogurt, and milk. They love when the blender gets turned on as they flap like fish out of water. We laugh and they beg to keep the blender going. “I’m not blended enough!” they shout.
Even as a coach, I play in the arena of make-believe as I imagine that anything is possible. I use and have prescribed the success principle “Act as if.” When we act as if we are more confident, surer of ourselves and of our abilities, we are playing make-believe. We are inviting magic into our world and into ourselves. Whether that is fairytale magic or magic we create through our beliefs and actions, it is still magic.
I think one of the reasons people struggle with creating belief in the impossible is because as a society, we’re moving away from believing in magic. We have become so educated and “enlightened” that we’re taking the fun out of being curious, of exploring, of believing and allowing for magic, or even a miracle. It seems to me that we complicate our fear of disappointment by wrapping it around a blanket of fear of time. So many of my clients have this fear of not meeting their goals by a certain time. It is more often about the deadline than it is about the actual accomplishment. They fear that the result they are seeking won’t happen soon enough, so they stop believing. They stop taking action. And, then guess what… they prove themselves right.
A coach I work with told me “We are so mentally correct now. And in trying to prevent mental harm, we create it.” While we do our best to prevent feeling any kind of disappointment, we tell ourselves not to believe in some unrealistic thing. We tell ourselves it is not possible, so don’t go there. We make ourselves feel disappointed ahead of time. We lie as we tell ourselves it is better to be disappointed at our outlandish goal than it is to go after it with all our heart, body and soul, and potentially feel disappointed later if we don’t accomplish it within the time we’ve set for ourselves. Our unwillingness to feel disappointed is also the reason that when something isn’t happening quick enough, we stop believing. We quit. We decide “It wasn’t meant to be.”
I believe dreams should be BIG, audacious, and inspiring. And our job as leaders, mentors, and coaches is to pour gas on the flame of belief our followers have in themselves and in their dreams. We need to inspire them to dream and play BIG and explore for themselves what is possible. We never know what amazing things people can do until they actually do it. When we bring BIG belief to our conversations and engagements, it becomes easier for our followers to bring the little belief they have.
As a mother, I know my daughters are in their most formative years. Whatever message I tell them will formulate the way they see themselves and the world in years to come. If I am always telling them “You can’t do that.” or “No. No. No.” they will grow up believing they can’t. I see this All. THE. TIME. Children who grew up without playing make believe, or lacked the freedom to explore and create, grow up to become adults who don’t believe in themselves, in their capabilities, and in their dreams. They come to me for support and encouragement as they work to overcome their self-doubt so they can move forward towards the things they desire most, often a reflection of their childhood dream.
When I think about the most successful people, they seem to be the people who can see what others don’t yet see. They have an imagination and believe that what they are seeing is possible. President Kennedy had a BIG, audacious goal of getting to the moon before the turn of the decade. I’m sure many people thought it was unrealistic. Thankfully, Mr. Kennedy didn’t let others disbelief keep him from believing. He kept talking about its possibility, and then, through his inspiration, the USA made it to the moon. 6 months ahead of the deadline in fact.
If you’ve had a dream that has been postponed because someone burst your bubble, I want to challenge you to revisit that dream within the next week and see what possibilities may be awaiting you.
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On the other hand, skeptics approach the topic with a more rational mindset. They argue that magic is merely an illusion, a product of human imagination, and not based in reality. Skeptics may attribute alleged magical occurrences to coincidence, psychological biases, or deception. They emphasize the need for scientific explanations backed by empirical data. In recent times, advancements in science and technology have led to a decline in belief in magic. As our understanding of the natural world expands, the need for supernatural occurrences diminishes. Yet, pockets of faith still remain, particularly in traditional or spiritually-oriented communities where mysticism and folklore are deeply ingrained. Ultimately, the belief in magic is a matter of personal perspective and individual experiences. While some find comfort and inspiration in the idea, others may dismiss it as fiction or superstition. Magic, to a great extent, resides within the realms of storytelling, entertainment, and cultural heritage. Whether you believe in magic or not, it undeniably holds a place in our collective human consciousness, captivating our imaginations and inspiring endless possibilities..
Reviews for "The Magic of Love: How Love Can Feel Like a Magical Experience"
1. Sarah - 1 star: I really didn't enjoy "Do u believe in maigc" at all. The writing was weak, the plot was predictable, and the characters were underdeveloped. I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters and didn't feel invested in their journey. The pacing was also off, with slow parts dragging on and action scenes feeling rushed. Overall, I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend this book to others.
2. Mark - 2 stars: "Do u believe in maigc" had an interesting concept, but it fell flat for me. The execution was lacking, and I found the dialogue to be unrealistic and forced. The author tried to create a magical world, but it lacked depth and detail. The story also had too many clichés and predictable moments, making it hard to be engaged. While there were some moments of entertainment, they were few and far between. I was hoping for more from this book and was ultimately left disappointed.
3. Amanda - 2 stars: I had high hopes for "Do u believe in maigc" based on the synopsis, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The writing style was simplistic, and the plot felt unoriginal. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, which made it difficult for me to care about what happened to them. Additionally, the romance in the story felt forced and unnatural. The pacing was also inconsistent, with the first half being slow and the second half feeling rushed. Overall, I found this book to be lackluster and wouldn't recommend it.