“. . . In all there was a rotating cast of about twenty-five: physicists and receptionists and pipe fitters and musicians and undergrads and hedge-fund guys and barely functional, socially marginal nutjobs. . . .
“Some of them came in once a month to work on spells, and some of them showed up at six in the morning every morning and stayed till ten at night, or slept there . . . Some of them were high-functioning in their daily lives, had careers and families and no obvious signs of eccentricity or physical debilitation. But doing magic alongside all that other stuff was a tricky balancing act, and when you lost it and fell you hit the floor hard. Even if you got up again, you got up limping. And everybody fell sooner or later.
“See, when you had magic in your life, it turned out, when you lived the double life of a secret underground magician, you paid a certain price, which was that your secret other life pulled at you always. Your magician self, that loopy doppelganger, was always with you, tugging at your sleeve, whispering silently that your real life was a fake life . . .“
– Lev Grossman, The Magician King
A magician is a rather distinctive part of and unusual in today’s world. They believe differently than most people. And they certainly behave differently. In fact, it was Aristotle who said: “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.” Magicians are that strange alchemical mix of greatness and madness.
And, in some respects, it is their belief in existence of magic, in the first place, that keeps the world filled with innovation, imagination, diversion, and originality. Magicians can be seen as rude because they don’t tolerate folly; while at the same time, they understand that it’s absurd to believe people don’t make mistakes (after all, magicians have learned to capitalize on the incorrect conclusions of others).
If you’ve ever pondered whether you’re a magician, take a look at the following list to see if you have what it takes.
1. You are someone who loves to tinker with the norm. You are never content to just leave things the way they are.
2. You hate being someone who copies the words, behaviors, and results of others. And you’re willing to put in the time to make something truly and uniquely “yours.”
3. You give off the air of confidence (even if you have doubts). You understand that it’s not what you say, but how you’re heard. And it’s not what you do, but how you are seen that will make all the difference.
4. You’re fanatical about your magic. This has nothing to do with capturing value from your life’s work as much as it has to do with creating value for yourself and others. In other words, your magical passion has grabbed hold of you and refuses to let you go.
5. You don’t believe that the impossible exists. In fact, you’re devoted to showing others they need to rethink what is inconceivable.
6. You have the ability to create wonder out of everyday happenings, events, and things. Haven’t you already noticed that people are attracted to you because of what you do and say and how you make them feel?
7. You’ve been known to spend more time honing your magic than you spend with your significant other. In fact, some would say that magic is your secret (or not so secret) lover.
8. You hate following rules. One of your mantras might be “Don’t tell me what to do.”
9. You believe there’s real magic in the world. You realize this might cause others to label you as “crazy.” But that’s okay: if you turned your back on this belief, you would feel like a piece of your soul has been ripped away.
10. You are incredibly competitive – with others and most especially with yourself. There’s always something more that can be demonstrated, achieved, and created.
11. You check to see if there’s a “disturbance in the Force” throughout the day.
12. Much of what you do is for the sheer love of “doing magic.” It’s not always about the money.
13. Your idea of going out and visiting with others is figuring out what magic you’re going to take with you and how much you’re going to show someone else.
14. You’re a control freak. Period.
15. You see the chance to put something to magical use everywhere. The world is simply filled with things and people and happenings that are waiting for your charms.
16. You recognize that your “best” is seen and felt and experienced when people are in your presence – not from what you write or how you’re seen in a selfie or on video.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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SCOTT GROSSBERG thinkingmagically.com 