The Magic

The sun is shining – the sun is shining. That is the Magic. The flowers are growing – the roots are stirring. That is the Magic. Being alive is the Magic – being strong is the Magic. The magic is in me – the Magic is in me. It is in me – it is in me. It’s in every one of us.
– Colin, “The Secret Garden”

Colin is right. The magic in life is celebrating all its facets.

Rapt wonder
Light bursting
A breeze’s caress
Sweet green scents

It’s easy to copy the quote and say that’s how we should live: Live in love and as witness to the magic. How simple and quick it is to type it, to say it. How thoughtless it is to love the fresh first breaths of spring. How effortless it is to smile when…
The food stalls understand that I am a vegetarian
We get the rare treat of eating pizza, a salad, or a cup of coffee
Our hotel is clean
We find delicious and reasonably priced coconuts
The mangoes melt in your mouth
The sunsets are vibrant and multi-colored
I have space to do yoga
I slept more than 5 hours

On days like these, I smile as I walk around and take photos of people, architecture, shops, flowers, and the sky. I feel light on my feet. Excited about the prospect of our plans, yet my toes tingling for the spontaneity that could arise. It’s so simple, so easy, to see the magic when I’ve just arrived in a new city on a good night’s sleep at a clean and cozy hostel.

Yet, that magic is primary. The foundation. To truly live it is to engrain this notion into even the most wintery moments when…
The tuk-tuk driver rips you off
Exquisite plans turn to shambles in a matter of 30 seconds
You are sporting 15 new mosquito bites because there was a hole in your mosquito net
The motorbike you just rented has multiple flat tires
Your bus breaks down in the hot Thai summer heat
A motorcycle nicks your leg as you cross the steet

That’s the hard part. The almost impossible part. Yet, as expected, it is the most crucial part.

Traveling extensively, living out of a backpack, moving from place to place, spending days on buses/ferries/planes/trains… It’s relentless. It’s tough on your body, more so on your mind.

Usually (more like 100% of the time) I feel incapable of being open and smiling during a tear-inducing, rage-building, impossibly exhausting moment. Yet, I know it’s pivotal. This is when I must remember to breathe, to be slow, to think… Then I can come back to the magic.

The magic comes alive, not despite, but because of the difficulties. To get out of our comfort zone, discover, move, travel, and ask questions, during life’s most challenging moments, those are the moments that our raw magic really shines.