Catching the Magic

I grabbed my car key, phone, license and looked around for anything I’d forgotten before I headed to the gym. And that’s when my eyes landed on the book . . . that one; it stands out because of its colors and size and, yep, it’s magical messages. Change of plans. I’ll go to the gym in just a few minutes, because for some reason I need to pick up this book, let if fall open, and read a few pages.

I love this book. It was given to me by a dear friend; maybe she knows something about me I hadn’t yet understood: I believe in magic! Not the illusions attributed to magic shows, but that unexpected flash of an idea that opens me into a best hope, a needed change, even a dream deferred.

Someone, somewhere, said that it isn’t until you hear your own voice say an idea aloud that you can actually decide if it’s your truth. So, here I go . . . out loud: I believe that creativity helps us to change and grow and produce beauty. And that kind of creativity requires courage and trust and a spark of magic; I believe inspired grace is the magic of catching an imaginative idea as it flies by.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Big Magic”, encourages readers to uncover those buried, but always

accessible life longings. It doesn’t matter if “we long to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion,” they are around a corner, ahead, waiting.

This book’s stories surprise and delight, as well as encourage us to believe our own personal magic is there for the taking. Let the book just fall open in your lap, read some paragraphs and stretch your mind wide open around a new possibility. Then point yourself in that direction.

OK, I admit it’s been more than a few minutes since I took my detour. But the change in course has been worth it. I’ve snagged my next writing idea, just as it was flying by. So, stay tuned . . .

I’ve just caught a love story to share.

Sending hope,

Jane