Real Magic

Reminds me of Marcus Aurelius’ great thought: “Everything – a horse, a vine – is created for some duty… For what task, then, were you yourself created? A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.”

A key aspect of Dyer’s “Real Magic” formula is to live a life of purpose—where we’re less focused on “outcomes” and more focus on living with integrity to our highest purpose. The book is all about getting in touch with that purpose and rockin’ it from there.

Dyer also says this:

Dyer also says this: “Getting on purpose in life—by going within and discovering that purpose is about loving unconditionally and serving, and making contact with what is there about us always—alters one’s worldview dramatically.”

It’s funny because in my Note on Aurelius’ Meditations, the Big Idea after the quote above is: “Let your one delight and refreshment be to pass from one service to the community to another, with God ever in mind.”

I love it when two of my favorite teachers are in such accordance. They must be tapping into some bigger truth, eh?

So, purpose and service. Purpose and service. Purpose and service.

And, while we’re on the subject, gotta throw in Martin Seligman’s research on the science of happiness, eh? In his great book Authentic Happiness (see Notes), Seligman tells us that we’ll be happy to the extent we use our strengths often. If we want a truly meaningful life? We’ve gotta use our strengths in the greatest service to the world.

Again: Purpose and service. Purpose and service. Purpose and service.

Begs the questions: What’s YOUR purpose? And, how can you serve?

More purpose mojo from Dyer: “When you go beyond outcome in life you find yourself unconcerned about what is in it for you. Thoughts, feelings and behavior focus more and more on the fulfillment of your purpose. You go beyond success, achievement and performance as indications of your life’s mission. Instead, every moment is lived fully and lovingly. Material possessions cease to dominate your thoughts, which is not to say that they disappear. They simply cease to be the focus of life. Instead, your purpose takes hold, and you gain a sense of joy and inner harmony knowing that you are divinely fulfilling your reason for being here. As Michel de Montaigne put it so succinctly: “The great and glorious masterpiece of man is how to live with purpose.”

Wayne LOVES lists. This book, like most of his, is packed with a bunch of ‘em. Here’s one on the “Seven Beliefs for Manifesting Real Magic”:

1. “There is an invisible but knowable life force within you.
2. Your thoughts are something that you control and they originate within you.
3. There are no limits. (Might want to re-read that and take it literally. :)
4. Your life has a purpose.
5. You overcome weaknesses by leaving them behind.
6. When you examine what you believe to be impossible, you can then change your beliefs.
7. You can go beyond logic.”

How about a quick look at #3: “There are no limits”? Dyer says: “All of the things that you have become convinced are limits are products of the way in which you have learned to think… Before the invention of the microscope most people did not believe in the existence of microscopic life. People who believe only what they can see or prove scientifically are limited by the current level of sophistication of our measuring devices.”

That. Is. Cool. Think about it. Before we could *measure* microscopic stuff they *didn’t exist* in most people’s minds. Does that mean they weren’t really there or just that most people’s vision was too narrow?!

Did you know that when Marconi, the guy who invented the radio, told his friends he could harness invisible waves and transmit sound from one place to another with NOTHING (nothing we can “see” anyway) between them, his friends thought he was nuts and threw him in an insane asylum. No joke.

The Big Idea? Don’t limit yourself by what you can currently see. Real Magic starts when we see *No Limits*! Sound a little wacky? Good. And if your imagination isn’t big enough to see that big, work on your imagination. :)

Speaking of working on our imaginations, what in YOUR life, right now, are you demonstrating LIMITED thinking on? Your creative potential? Your business potential? Your relationships? Your kids? Your spirituality? Your financial abundance? How you can expand the limits on that a little (or a lot?) today?!?

Ah! “Acting As If”! I *LOVE* the way Wayne described this!

A little more mojo from the good Dr. then we’ll chat about it: “You have that spirit of God flowing within you at all times, and you will discover a simple secret: Anything you desire to do you can do. Anything! The key is desire, which is an invisible, dimensionless concept that resides within you. If you truly desire it, and can picture it for yourself, you can manifest it. The way to this truth for me has been to act as if that which I desired within myself were already here in the material world.”

OK. So, what is it YOU want to see manifested in your life? Being more spiritually enlightened? More successful in your professional and/or creative pursuits? Being a better partner in your intimate relationship? A better parent? Being in optimal physical health/vitality?

Cool. Let’s pick one. Get the image of your ideal. (Imagine it up on a pedestal like in a museum!)

Got it? Good.

Now, how would that version of you ACT *NOW*? Imagine that. What would they do, how would they walk, how would they talk/breathe/smile/laugh/sit/stand/eat/etc.?!?

Got it? Now ACT LIKE THAT NOW.

Seriously, try this out. It’s amazing. When you feel yourself contracting into the old stress/fear patterns, conjure up the image of your ideal self—in whatever domain of your life.

Your body? SEE how the ideal physical specimen that is you would act even when the “current” you doesn’t want to go out and exercise. The ideal you doesn’t even consider not going. So, act as if you were that ideal now!

Your parenting? SEE how the ideal parent version of you would respond to a challenge with one of your kids. And ACT like that ideal NOW!

Your relationship? Same thing. Your professional/entrepreneurial/creative genius? Same thing.

Acting as if. It’s really magical. :)

That’s from a chapter on “Real Magic and Your Prosperity.” Great stuff. I could write 5 Notes on that chapter alone. (Seriously.)

What do you do when you see others who are doing great things in their lives and/or enjoying great material success?!?

Do you celebrate their success or feel a twinge of jealousy or even outright envy? Pay attention! A REALLY good way to cut yourself off from your source (and your friends) is to swim in negativity like that.

Don’t EVER allow the negative thoughts to fester. Choose to CELEBRATE their success!

Reminds me of T. Harv Eker, in his great book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind (see Notes): “Bless that which you want. If you see a person with a beautiful home, bless that person and bless that home. If you see a person with a beautiful car, bless that person and bless that car. If you see a person with a loving family, bless that person and bless that family. If you see a person with a beautiful body, bless that person and bless their body.”

How can I serve? How can I serve? How can I serve?

Imagine that as the central focus of our lives.

How can I serve? How can I serve? How can I serve?

Another way to frame it is to ask “How can I share my gifts and love and enthusiasm and overall fabulous Highest Self with the world more today?!?”

That’s a good one for your journal, btw. Let’s rock it.

Here are five ways I’m gonna share more of my Highest Self with the world today:

1. 1. _____________________________________________
2. 2. _____________________________________________
3. 3. _____________________________________________
4. 4. _____________________________________________
5. 5. _____________________________________________

Love it. Coupla things.

First, do you know where the word “prosperity” comes from?

In his transformative book, Spiritual Economics (see Notes), Eric Butterworth teaches us that: “Prosperity comes from the Latin root which literally translates: ‘according to hope’ or ‘to go forward hopefully.’ Thus it is not so much a condition in life as it is an attitude toward life. The truly prosperous person is what psychologist Rollo May calls ‘the fully functioning person.’”

So, to be prosperous is to “go forward hopefully.”

Awesome.

And, I dig the idea we need to get our minds OFF the result and into the moment. Russell Simmons says this in his classic book, Do You! (see Notes): “I know some people say ‘Keep your eyes on the prize,’ but I disagree. When your eyes are stuck on the prize, you’re going to keep stumbling and crashing into things. If you really want to get ahead, you’ve got to keep your eyes focused on the path.”

It’s ALL about the journey, folks. (States obvious. :)

And that journey is all about loving and giving our highest selves in joy moment to moment to moment to moment.

So, how can you surrender/relax/let go a little more today and TRUST the whole process as you love, give, love, give, and love and give some more?

While you’re doing that, how about this Big Idea from George Leonard’s great book Mastery (see Notes): “For a master, the rewards gained along the way are fine, but they are not the main reason for the journey. Ultimately, the master and the master’s path are one. And if the traveler is fortunate—that is, if the path is complex and profound enough—the destination is two miles farther away for every mile he or she travels.”

Imagine that!!!

Loving the journey SO much that we *hope* the destination is two miles further away for every one mile we travel.

Wow.

I love that. So, the next time you see a negative thought of scarcity or whatever start floating across the screen of your mind, notice it and have fun smiling and saying, “Next!!!”

Make it a game. “Next.” “Next.” “Next.”

Let your mind know the old patterns of thought aren’t the new you and that you’re playfully serious about re-wiring your brain so the old habituated channels die off as your new ones are created! :)

While we’re on the subject of “next”ing disbelief, let’s take a peek at a few other negative thoughts to get out of our beautiful consciousness.

I’ve got a re-wiring practice these days where I’m becoming more and more aware of a bunch of negative thought patterns I have and systematically removing/”next”ing them out. No more criticizing, complaining, blaming, gossiping or comparing for me.

Every morning I journal my list of “No’s!” and notice when they start to creep into my head or a conversation and then I politely escort them out. No more criticizing, complaining, blaming, gossiping or comparing. HIGHLY recommend the practice.

You have a journal? (Please say, “Yes!” :)

If so, are you using it? Sweet.

If you don’t have a journal yet, PLEASE STOP EVERYTHING you’re doing and go get one. (Ahem. Well, maybe it’s not quite THAT urgent, but pretty close.)

Journaling is *such* an amazing way to slow down our thoughts, focus our energy and attention and intentions. I journal for at least a few minutes (usually a lot more than a few) every day. It’s one of my key practices during my re-wiring sabbatical and I HIGHLY recommend it. (Check out the site for my video on it called: “Journaling (and Green Rice Paddies!)” if you’d like to see more!)

So, as Dyer says, “Commit to paper precisely what you would like to have appear in your physical life. By seeing it and reading it repeatedly you will plant that thought more firmly in your mind and you will begin to manifest that which you are imaging.”

Note: Don’t focus your journaling on lamenting all the things that are wrong in your life (especially not if you’re already in a bad mood). That’s just gonna groove those patterns of thought more. And, science tells us that negative mood + rumination = toxicity (see Notes on The How of Happiness).

Instead, if you’re feeling stressed/challenged/annoyed/etc., try an Abraham-Hicks “pivot process” (see Notes on Money, And the Law of Attraction and Ask and It Is Given) and say, “OK. I don’t want *that.* What DO I want?!?” and journal about the visions of your ideal!!)

So…

What’s on that magical intention list in your new journal, my friend?!?

Let’s envision our Highest Selves, commit to living on purpose and create Real Magic in the world as we honor the precious gift that is our life!