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How to create magic in your life this year

The New Year has arrived. It's time to snuggle and cuddle. To make new wishes; to renew, recharge, refresh and revise. It's that time of the year once again, when every one of us look forward to at least some changes in our lives. We make resolutions that we will lose weight, learn at least one new skill, worry less, exercise more, control our anger and kiss fewer frogs...

With the advent of a new year, new hopes are born, and we secretly wish that this year magic would happen; our life would improve, we will have more money, more success, better career, new house.

We hope that in this New Year we will finally find our true love, and meet our soul mate. Finish writing that book. Start a new business. We look forward to new beginnings. We do all this, at the start of every NEW YEAR.

These prototype wishes have a certain magic to it, despite the fact that as the month meanders towards its end, the crispness of such wishes start to wilt under the dampening routines of life. Come February and we find that our life is more or less still lying into the same cut and paste monotony of last year.

Did I mention magic? Yes, I did in the paragraphs above.

Magic is something we all secretly wait for, no matter how hard-bitten and cynical we become as the passing years vanquishes our spirit. We hope that somehow, something or someone will arrive and turn that magic wand and our life will flip over.

But what we don't know is that we all have the powers to create magic in our lives.

To create magic we need to do two things:

  1. Believe in magic
  2. Be the magician of our life and bluff our way through life's inevitable difficulties.

We must know that the New Year is not a Genie that will bring us all that we have secretly been wishing for. We need to get inside that bottle and be that Genie ourselves.

How?

I would like to share with you my own personal formula that I have devised this year to create that magic in my life.

These are the set of 'decisions' I have made to create magic in my life. See if you can relate to some of these.

Magic number One:
I have decided that I will not make any resolutions. Yes I will not make resolutions. I will make 'decisions'. When we make resolutions we send a message to our subconscious self that something needs to be fixed there and involuntarily the brain gets into a defensive and procrastinating mode. If I 'decide' to do something then I send a powerful signal to my subconscious that I mean business!

Magic number Two:
I will use my words for power. I have learnt that there are three words that really steal away the power of performance from our personal dictionary. These words are: Could, Should, Would. I have realized that people use these words when there is no 'intent' and 'commitment' in their sayings. I am guilty of using them many times in my past when I wanted to slither away from a situation. This year I 'will' create magic by using 'can', 'will' and 'do' in my vocabulary more often.

Magic number Three:
I will eat right. The old adage 'Breakfast like a King' has more meaning than we care to admit. I have been guilty of skipping breakfast quite frequently and as a result when my blood sugar fell down I used to gorge on chocolates and caffeine to feel energetic and felt depressed that I am not losing weight despite skipping breakfast! Well, breakfast is the best meal we can give not just to our body but to our soul too. Start your day with a hearty and healthy breakfast and see how your energy levels go up.

Magic number Four:
I will be more positive. Life is inevitably hell and heaven both. To create heaven when are going through hell requires magic. From heartbreak, to career set backs to financial muddle, we all need this magic to help us sail through the messes. What makes me positive is practicing patience. I have learnt that everything gets right in the end. Being patient is being positive. I will practice more patience this year.

Magic number Five:
I have decided that I will pull out at least one day out of the week when I will switch off my phone, will not read the newspaper or watch the news channel. Well, I know that being a die-hard 'news and phone hater' it is easy for me to say this, and I do realize that it is difficult for many of you out there to do so. However, this is my personal 'detoxification formula' to stay away from 'negative emissions'.

Magic number Six:
Love. Love makes us a nicer person. It makes us feel complete. I believe that between birth and death there is just one meaningful happening and that is love. We may gather money, prestige, and power but if we miss on love, we miss on life. Love can be philanthropic, altruistic or romantic. Pick up your own mould and see how your life transforms. This year decide to fall in love and be in love. Love is the greatest magic of them all.

posted by Nazia Mallick on 1/ 5/2009 11:52 am | COMMENTS (9)
Comments (8)

Nazia, I think you have found the 'magic' for a well-lived life. At 62, I am finally beginning to get the hang of thinking positive, 'faking it til you make it,' acting 'as if' - many people have advised us to retrain our brains but we must really give it a try to see the 'magic' it can do.

Here's to more magic and love in '09!

posted by lindawis on 1/ 6/2009 12:45 pm

I appreciate and agree with your thoughts about the power of words--both those we speak aloud and those that live in our brains. The difference between telling yourself "I'll try this" or the "I'll do this" is, for me, the difference between a half-hearted attempt and a true commitment to get the thing done. I particularly like the idea of shifting from New Year's resolutions to a set of "decisions". I'm off to edit my list...

Thanks for a great piece of work!

posted by cerveny on 1/ 6/2009 1:56 pm

I have noticed the past year that when i a decided to do something it felt good, and when i came back on it later, and did not do it, i postponed it, it didn't feel good. So I think i'll print your advice to hang above my bed, just for a while.

In the past i worked on a heldpesk, and the words could, should, would, might, maybe .. we were, how shall i say quite handy to use, as you promise what you hope will happen, but can't guarantuee, so that they can never put it back at you and say, yes but you said they will... Which is, if i was on there end, what i would like to hear.

I didn't make resolutions this year, maybe one, trying to be more grateful for things, people...

Could it be then when saying I'll do this, one is less eager to postpone ? But instead, may think what is going to stop me form doing that ? Oh that, no big deal.

posted by dagdromer on 1/ 7/2009 1:54 pm

This really sounds like something I could use with my major "decision" this year - to walk the Dublin City Marathon. From having half-heartedly said I would do it, I now have 5 like-minded (and similarly underactive, heading towards middle age) friends joining me. I am going to print off this article - I hope this is OK - and give it to the others. Wish me luck!!!

posted by Bathsheeba on 1/15/2009 11:24 am

Bathsheeba - Great idea! I once entered to run a full marathon, not really thinking what I was getting myself into. But it was such a wonderful experience! It really is a great feeling of accomplishment knowing that you got up each day to do training. Its a big reward to cross that finish line. Good luck!

posted by katiek on 1/15/2009 12:56 pm

Nazia, I enjoyed your article so much that I wrote about it on my blog. How important it is for us to remember that magic is always within our grasp, we only need to believe and be.

posted by blueherongirl on 1/15/2009 4:13 pm

Hello Bathsheeba

Thank You very much .

Please go ahead with your idea of printing this article. Its absolutely OK!

I wish you all the very best for your GREAT DECISION to run that marathon.

Good luck to you and your mates!!!

Nazia

posted by Nazia Mallick on 1/16/2009 3:33 am

Hello Wonderful Readers

Thank You All very much for your kind comments.

If this particular blog has made any difference in anyone's attitude towards life then I am humbled to know this.

Thank you once again to All Of You!!

My inspiration to write about that particular bullet "power of words" has come from Dan O'Neil with whom I recently had a chance to have some inspiring talks on phone.

Dan { www.aquariuscoaching.co.uk} made me think differently on some personal issues of my own.

love

Nazia

posted by Nazia Mallick on 1/16/2009 4:07 am

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