Last week, we talked about becoming more accepting of the ups and downs of life, and not expecting ourselves to make sudden, permanent changes (like never eating carbs again, or vowing to exercise six days a week until the end of time). I called this "magical thinking," or wanting to make something so just by wishing for it.
When my husband read the post, his comment was, "Well, you've got a point there, but what about miracles, quantum leaps, and life-changing events? This sounds like they don't exist" Of course he had a point, too, and I admit I have seen many cases of people's lives turning around suddenly and permanently due to seemingly divine forces of intervention. It happens all the time.
But not really.
What I mean to say is that, globally and cosmically, these things do happen all the time, but when it comes to our personal, everyday lives, major miracles, quantum leaps, and life-changing events happen sporadically, infrequently, and unpredictably. Smaller miracles, which come in all shapes and sizes, may happen frequently, but not usually because our egos have willed them into existence. These occurrences truly are magical, unlike the magical "thinking" we use to try to manipulate our minds and the laws of the universe.
As a child, I was a big fan of the TV shows Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. These special ladies had real magical powers, and I thought I should have them too. But try as I might, I was unable to manifest their powers in my life. Dejected, I resigned myself to a "normal" life.
But then, over the years, magic crept back into my universe, and I started believing again, which was wonderful. Mostly. Because there's a blurry line between what we can experience through deep personal transformation and what we can manifest by wiggling our noses (like Samantha) and hoping that something extraordinary will work for us this time (when it never has before). Trust me, no matter how much you "want" to make something so, it doesn't work that way.
So this week, I invite you to believe in miracles, but don't set yourself up for failure and disappointment by expecting them for free, around every bend. Some days we'll walk up a steep hill only to find another one waiting for us, and that's okay. It's all just life. It's an ongoing process and a sometimes magical, sometimes just muggle, journey.
