Do you ever have days when you feel rather listless and dull? Do you fritter away the day avoiding some task that you know needs to be done just because you don’t want to do it? That task weighs upon your mind like some huge Purple People Eater sitting on your shoulders and nagging you to feed it. Even though you know that things will be better when the task is done, you just can’t seem to force yourself to do it. Maybe you’re afraid of doing something wrong, or perhaps it’s just that you don’t have the energy to overcome your inertia or maybe it’s your concern that purple people won’t like to be eaten by a Purple People Eater…
On days like that, what do you do?
When I find that I am giving in to ennui or avoiding some chore, I have to give myself a stern lecture. I have to remind myself that I am a Wizard.
What self-respecting Wizard would allow a Purple People Eater to sit on her shoulders and kvetch? What would-be Wizard would let worry about a silly task drain away all her energy and magic? Which Witch would let her self-doubts keep her from doing her daily duties?
There is nothing more deadening to the spirit as to let worries and burdens weigh you down. When you find that you are actively avoiding some task, then shake your head in disapproval at such foolish behavior. Don’t put up with such nonsense on your part. Any task can be accomplished if you just put your mind and a bit of magic to it.
Just get it done.
You’ll be amazed at how magical you feel once that task is crossed off your list.
The moral is: “Never let a Purple People Eater sit on your shoulder.”
So how do you banish the blues and stop procrastinating? I’ll be happy to hear from you.
Sincerely,
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In the modern world, communication is extremely important. Wizards cannot hide in their towers dabbling in spells and hoping that the world outside doesn’t interfere with their research. One day, you’ll look out your window to see that someone has built a nuclear reactor on the earthquake fault line nearby. Why, one misspelling on a spell scroll you are reading and the next thing you know is that you are arrested for creating toxic wastes hazardous to the environment. In the olden days, no one would have noticed if you unwittingly created a throng of mindless zombies.
Whether we like it or not, Wizards need to communicate. At the very least, we should send an anonymous tip to the authorities that they might soon have ravenous zombies staggering down main street.
That is why my letters to you will now be part of this blog … I want to be able to chat and interact with all Heroes who have that touch of magic in their minds. I encourage you all to practice your communication skills by commenting on my posts. It will be nice to have a little chat with you all.
Making More Magic
In the spirit of a proper blog for our first Class Notes, I want to share with you a few ways to make your life a bit more magical. These are simple but elegant ways to transform your life.
1. Make Someone Smile
All smiles are magical. Share a smile with someone else, and you’ll both be happier.
2. Learn Something New
I like to start out my day learning new ways to think about the things I do or discover new wonders in the world. It thrills me to learn that there’s a Giraffe Center in Nairobi that helps preserve the endangered Rothschild Giraffe or that you can substitute applesauce for honey in a cookie recipe. Perhaps you don’t find those things quite so interesting as I do… But whatever your interests, keep in mind that knowledge is fuel for your brain. You won’t need coffee in the morning when you put your mind into action by learning something new.
3. Go With Your Flow
Flow is the state of mind where you are totally engrossed in what you are doing. You are so involved in your work that you don’t even notice the passing of time. To get to this state, you must be working on something that you know is valuable. It must challenge your creativity and skill. Whether it is writing a report, researching an essay, giving a lecture, or practicing a musical instrument, you can attain this feeling of flow. It’s all a matter of setting your mind to enjoy what you are doing.
4. Practice Your Passion
Everyone needs the satisfaction of doing something well. Never let a day pass you by without doing something you love doing. We all know that the more you work at something, the better you will get. So when you practice your passion, you feel the delightful magic of Mastery.
5. Make a List
Lists are very good things. Why, I would never remember to pick up more dehydrated bat wings at the “Silver Cauldron” if I didn’t write it down on my shopping list. Many very organized people write down a list of things they want to do each day. I have always admired such energetic people. I try each morning to think about what I want to accomplish during the day. Alas, all too often, I don’t succeed with my plans.
If I had written a list of things to do and then didn’t get around to doing them, I would be pretty grumpy at the end of the day.
However, here’s a way to make you feel very proud of yourself.
Every evening, sit down at your desk and write down a list of all the things you have accomplished that day. Put stars by the harder jobs that you really didn’t want to do in the first place. Put a gold star next to anything that you have put off more than a couple of days. Draw a big happy face (or eat a cookie) if you got something done that has been making you an unhappy wizard.
You will be surprised at the way you feel when you see how much you can get done in one day. You will challenge yourself to get more accomplished the next day. Pretty soon, you’ll start each day thinking about all the things you will get to put on that list in the evening.
Not only will you get things done, but you’ll feel very good about yourself. You will change from a disappointed, depressed, do-nothing Wannabe to a proud, happy over-achieving Wizard through the magic of a simple daily list of accomplishments.
Make Every Day Magical
What’s the point of being a Wizard if you don’t practice your magic? Let these suggestions transform your day. These five ways can enchant your attitude and enrich your life.
Sincerely,
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My Dear Students,
Wizards by their very nature are more perceptive of the magic that goes on around them. We know that a few well-chosen words on a dark day can light up the face of a friend with a glowing smile. We know that if you plant a daffodil bulb in the chill of autumn, there will come a bright flower in the Spring. We know how a dash of a few well chosen herbs and a handful of ingredients transform mere food into a culninary delight. We know that working on our personal passions makes time flow faster and fills us with the warmth of tremendous satisfaction.
People create magic every day. They just don’t recognize it.
Wizards can create magic every day. Sadly, we don’t always get around to doing it. We all too often let a day pass us by without doing something creative and meaningful.
A day without Magic is a day without joy.
What have you done today that you know is magical? What are you going to do?
Fill your life with magical moments. That’s the true way of a Wizard.
Sincerely,
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My Dear Students,
As you can see, we are slowly transforming our School from the traditional, timeworn teaching techniques of lecture and test to one of enlightened interaction. No longer will you have the opportunity to nod off during class time. Instead, we will be able to chat and discuss the topics of the month and all manner of magical concerns.
I do hope you will take advantage of this education enhancement by commenting below.
Sincerely,
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