We were laying in my bed reading one night and I asked “what would you do if Chucky showed up in the doorway right now holding a knife?”
“Scream and die?” she suggested.
“Well, sweetie, how about if you kick the little bastard’s ass instead?”
“Mom, I can’t believe you just said that.”
Chucky is imaginary. Right? So, if she can imagine him menacing her, why can’t she imagine him chopped into small pieces on the floor, or burning in a bonfire on the driveway? It’s just her imagination at work.
But imagining either scenario has a consequence.
If she focuses on bad things that might happen – fear, or on things she can’t do – disempowerment, there are tangible results – a physical manifestation of the stress caused by her fear, annoying the piss out of me (which has consequences), and, worst of all, opportunity cost – she’s a great little artist, but how can she create freely when she’s looking over her shoulder, waiting for some psychopathic plaything to plunge a meat cleaver into her skull?
It’s magic – she created this whole scenario by casting a magic spell – “what if
?”
Since last week was Halloween, I’ve been thinking a lot about magic. I’ve also been thinking about something that is very interesting to me all the time - human potential. I often think about them together because I kind of equate the two. So, when I read Harry Potter, for example, I wonder if maybe I couldn’t apparate and levitate and brew potions if I were a 100% fully realized human being.
There are so many people out there doing so many amazing things, and as I’ve written about them, the thing that I keep coming back to is my absolute favorite Henry Ford quote “Whether you think you can or you can’t do a thing, you’re probably right.”
I write about people all the time who cast the opposite spell, staying away from dark and disempowering magic and in the light of possibility, who imagine what can be done and imagine that they can do it. And that is some wickedly potent magic.
These people are alleviating hunger, homelessness, the cycle of poverty, improving life for the sick and the disabled, helping, healing, bettering the world and the lives of its human and animal inhabitants. Activists, artists, entrepreneurs, teachers, parents, public servants, volunteers and professionals of all nationalities, economic levels, education, age, and ability. And the common denominator is belief, just the simple belief that what they do makes a difference. And so they try. And so they make a difference. Magic.
Vision, dedication, hard work, and magic.
These people are out there every day kicking Chucky’s metaphorical little ass, and I applaud them for it.
I love these people. I love these stories. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you in this blog and hearing about them from you. I invite you to send me my daily dose of inspiration at [email protected].
