In our lives, there are moments that feel truly magical. These are the moments that make us feel alive, connected, and inspired. Whether it's connecting with someone on a deep level, witnessing the beauty of nature, or achieving something we've worked hard for, these moments are what make life worth living. But too often, we let these magical moments slip away, fading into vague memories that become more and more distant as time goes on. We get caught up in the demands of everyday life, distracted by our responsibilities and commitments. We forget to savor the magic, to hold onto it and let it infuse our lives with wonder and joy.
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Here We Are takes its title from Ronnie s foster mother s very nice way of saying whenever she proffered something, or sometimes for no clear reason at all, Here we are. In Mothering Sunday, a love song to the transformative possibilities of language and literature, the former housemaid managed to cross class barriers to become a celebrated author at a time of seismic changes in English society following World War I.
We forget to savor the magic, to hold onto it and let it infuse our lives with wonder and joy. But what if we made a conscious choice to let the magic we conjured live on? What if we actively sought out moments of magic and embraced them with open hearts and minds? What if we made an effort to create magic in our own lives and the lives of those around us? When we invite magic into our lives, we open ourselves up to the infinite possibilities that the universe has to offer. We become more attuned to the beauty and wonder that surrounds us, even in the most ordinary moments.
Liz Gilbert’s Big Magic in Action: A Conjuring Story
I promised in last week’s post that I would review Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (affiliate link). It was released three days after I saw Liz speak at the Omega Women’s Leadership Center’s Women and Power: Being Bold retreat.
Instead of a blow-by-blow of the book (which is amazing and thought-provoking and a must-read for anyone in need of creative inspiration or a kick in the pants to live life more fully), let me give you a real-life example that I feel proves the truth of Liz’s theory that enchantment is all around us if we open ourselves up to receiving it.
As background, you need to know that I spent several weeks before the retreat obsessing about how I might meet Liz in person. With roughly 400 people attending the event, I knew my chances were slim. I might have a quick opportunity to shake her hand, but I wanted just a couple of minutes to tell her that she had inspired me to fully embrace my creative side, the culmination of which is my upcoming book, Blooming into Mindfulness.
Think I’m exaggerating about my obsession? Here are just a few excerpts from my journal in the days leading up to the Omega Institute event:
September 6, 2015: “Hoping Margaret Roach (accomplished author, former Martha Stewart Omnimedia executive, and provider of wise advice on my book journey) can give me some guidance about how best to connect with Liz Gilbert and other thought leaders.”
In our phone conversation the next day, Margaret had this excellent a suggestion: “If you have the chance to meet her–and be prepared, you’ll need to stand in line for sure–put something beautiful in her hands, like a box of your greeting cards.”
September 14, 2015: “Need to prepare for the upcoming retreat at Omega. Leaving on Friday. Should really research all the speakers. Especially hoping to have a few minutes with Elizabeth Gilbert. What an amazing leader she is. I really do want to be her when I grow up.”
September 17, 2015: “Soooo excited for this weekend’s Women in Power retreat at Omega. Even if I don’t get to meet Elizabeth Gilbert there will be so many other awesome women to connect with. Sent a note to Elizabeth Lesser (Omega co-founder, author, speaker) just to say hello in advance and thank her for her work. Maybe weird? I don’t know.”
Once I was actually at Omega, though, I knew immediately that the weekend would be much bigger than the potential of meeting Liz Gilbert. But I had my greeting cards in my bag just in case.
Liz’s keynote speech was scheduled for Saturday morning. I headed out from my tent cabin to get breakfast in the dining hall beforehand. As I waited in line for the buffet, I looked around the large room wondering where I should sit. I had decided to come alone to the retreat intentionally, to force my introverted self to meet people. My plate of food now in hand, my eyes fell on a friendly-looking woman sitting alone at one of the 100 or so eight-person round tables.
I asked if I could join her. “Of course!” she replied. “I’m Laurah.”
“I’m Martha,” I said, not sure if I should sit right next to her or leave a space or two. I decided to leave two spaces just in case a friend was joining her.
As I took my seat, I said, “Is anyone else sitting here?”
“Um…only Liz Gilbert.”
I stared at Laurah in disbelief, tingles making their way from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.
“You’re kidding,” I said.
“I know, right?” she said, a beautiful smile spreading across her face. She was just as astonished as I. Laurah had overheard Liz ask someone where the dining hall was and offered to show her the way.
Now, I want to reiterate here—I did not choose the table because I knew Liz Gilbert would be there. It was Laurah who attracted me there, so she now has permanent BMFE (Best Magic Friend Ever) status.
And sure enough, a minute later Liz Gilbert sat down in the chair next to Laurah. I was hyperventilating by this point. My friends and family will tell you that I’m not a person prone to hyperventilate in the midst of famous people. I got to shake Bill Clinton’s hand once, one of the most charismatic people on the planet no matter what your politics are. That handshake was nothing compared to meeting Liz Gilbert.
“Would it be OK if I moved and sat right next to you?” I said to her.
“If you didn’t, that would just be weird,” Liz said.
I slid over to the chair on her left. In bumbling fashion, I told her about how I had been consumed the past few weeks with wondering how I might approach her respectfully if I got the chance.
“Well it seems you’ve conjured me up!” she said. That’s exactly what it felt like.
“And guess what?” I replied. “I’m even prepared!”
Hands shaking, I opened my bag and pulled out a box of my garden photography greeting cards. As I placed the box in Liz’s hands, I felt totally engulfed in the enchantment that Liz talks about in Big Magic.
It was as if the universe was rewarding me for following Liz’s advice to embrace my creative identity—first through my writing, and more recently through my photography, despite my lifelong fear of doing so.
The irony is, in her talk about an hour or so after our magical encounter, Liz cautioned the audience about the dangers of meeting our heroes in person. She intentionally did not make an effort to meet her literary idol Jack Gilbert out of fear of being disappointed. The opposite was true for me.
Liz’s gracious handling of my slobbering adoration only served to raise even higher the pedestal upon which I keep her. And I’ll never forget what she told Laurah and me during our intimate breakfast together:
“I never ask people what they do. I always ask what excites them. You always get a better answer that way.” Another Liz Gilbert lesson that I’ve already started to implement.
And since this is technically supposed to be a “book review,” I’ll leave you with just a few quotes from Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear that resonated with me:
- You do not need anybody’s permission to live a creative life.
- You want to write a book? Make a song? Direct a movie? Decorate pottery? Learn a dance? Explore a new land? You want to draw a penis on your wall? Do it. Who cares? It’s your birthright as a human being, so do it with a cheerful heart. (This one spoke to me directly, since a friend of my son’s did, indeed, spray paint a picture of a penis on my front lawn several years ago. I forgive him now.)
- I want to live the most vividly decorated temporary life that I can. I don’t just mean physically; I mean emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.
- If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. You and I and everyone you know are descended from tens of thousands of years of makers.
- The guardians of high culture will try to convince you that the arts belong only to a chosen few, but they are wrong and they are also annoying.
- Instead of taking out loans to go to a school for the arts, maybe try to push yourself deeper into the world, to explore more bravely. Or go more deeply and bravely inward. Take an honest inventory of the education you already have—the years you have lived, the trials you have endured, the skills you have learned along the way. (I debated for years whether to go back to school for my MFA, but took Liz’s advice here instead.)
- Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.
I could go on and on, but you’ll be better off reading the whole book yourself.
More Big Magic:
I’m writing this blog post on an airplane, on my way to watch my son’s soccer game in Chicago. The woman sitting next to me is reading The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. “I’m SO enjoying this book!” she tells me. “Have you read it?”
“It’s one of my all-time favorites,” I said, feeling that tingly thing again since I had already set myself the task of writing this piece on the flight.
“Have you read anything else by the author?” she asked. I pulled out my copy of Big Magic, then showed her the photos of my magic friends.
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Comments
- lisa says October 5, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Hi Martha, That is so exciting that you met Liz Gilbert! I haven’t read anything of hers except for Eat, Pray, Love, but I have really been feeling like a need some, Big Magic lately! So will be buying it today (& maybe even the, The Signature of All Things). Miss you! Lisa
Welcome!
I'm Martha Brettschneider, a mindfulness consultant, Search Inside Yourself Certified Teacher, speaker, author, and nature photographer with a passion for inspiring and supporting mindful living through my products and services. As a former stressed-out economist and cancer survivor, I'm proof that anyone can transform their life experience from chaotic to contented. Learn more here.
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I slid over to the chair on her left. In bumbling fashion, I told her about how I had been consumed the past few weeks with wondering how I might approach her respectfully if I got the chance.
We find joy in the little things, in the everyday miracles that are often overlooked. We see the world with fresh eyes, as if we were seeing it for the first time. The magic we conjure is not something that is meant to be fleeting or temporary. It is a force that can transform our lives, if we let it. It is a reminder that there is so much more to life than just going through the motions. It is a call to live with intention, to seek out the extraordinary in the ordinary, and to embrace the beauty that is all around us. So let the magic we conjured live on. Let it guide us, inspire us, and fill us with a sense of wonder and awe. Let it infuse all aspects of our lives – our work, our relationships, our passions. Let it remind us that life is meant to be lived fully, passionately, and with purpose. In the end, the magic we conjure is not something that can be easily explained or understood. It is something that must be experienced, felt, and embraced. It is something that must be nurtured and cherished. It is something that can change our lives, if we let it. So let us choose to let the magic we conjured live on, for it is in these moments of magic that we truly come alive..
Reviews for "The Unspoken Connection: Exploring the Aftermath of Our Spells and Conjurings"
- John - 2/5 stars - I found "Let the magic we conjured live on" to be quite boring and predictable. The characters lacked depth and the plot was unoriginal. The writing style was also not engaging and I struggled to stay interested. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it.
- Sarah - 2/5 stars - "Let the magic we conjured live on" was a letdown for me. The story had a lot of potential but failed to deliver. The pacing was slow and there was too much unnecessary description, which made the book drag on. The romance felt forced and the dialogue was unrealistic. I expected more from this book and was disappointed by the end.
- Mark - 3/5 stars - While "Let the magic we conjured live on" had some interesting ideas, I felt like the execution fell flat. The world-building was not well-developed and left me confused about the rules of magic in this universe. The characters also lacked depth and didn't feel fully fleshed out. The writing style was average and didn't immerse me in the story. Overall, it was a mediocre read.
- Emily - 2/5 stars - I didn't enjoy "Let the magic we conjured live on" at all. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, with no surprises or twists. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked complexity. The writing style was also quite repetitive and didn't hold my attention. I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend this book to others.