Making Your Own Magic in the New Work World
With Halloween right around the corner, I’ve been reflecting on the tradition of the holiday that lets us become anything we want to be. What if we decided to carry that mindset beyond Halloween? What if we could make our own kind of magic without needing to become a sorcerer or wizard with a magic wand. How would we do that? Would it even be possible?
As J. K. Rowling has said,
“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better.”
I believe we all can imagine our lives to be better in the New Work World and, through that imagining, make our own kinds of magic. The Simply Luxurious Life has defined magic similarly to luck: “the fruition of good news, wished-for dreams, goals pursued with dogged perseverance, and anything that to the onlooker, the outside world, who doesn’t know the behind-the-scenes tale, would describe as magical or unbelievably awesome.”
Even with the many changes and challenges present in the New Work World, we can all create our own magic, but we must be determined to make it happen, rather than living passively and waiting for everything to just get better or fall into place. As Oprah Winfrey said,
“I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity.”
We must prepare and have a plan to make the magic happen in our lives. One plan, or method, that I have used successfully in my consulting practice is the Faremouth Method™. Consider the five steps below and how this strategy can help you make our own kind of magic in the New Work World.
Step 1: Do a Self-Inventory
Instead of focusing on what you cannot do at this time, flip your focus and ponder what abilities and gifts you currently possess that bring you joy. Reflect on the achievements, accomplishments, and accolades that are unique to you and your special gifts and talents. What do you do with ease and grace? Are you a good organizer, a natural at public speaking, a super creative person who can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary? Are you a great problem solver? Do things that activate the skillsets unique to who you are and what you truly enjoy, and you might just manifest magic in your life.
Step 2: Ask Better Questions
Consider for a moment that you could wave a magic wand and be anything you wanted to be. What would that look like? I often ask this question of new clients in my consulting practice, and it’s interesting what information I can glean from their answers: their passions, interests, happy experiences, and more. The question often helps me understand the types of positions that would resonate well with them. Asking yourself questions of this nature can lead you to some awesome discoveries that could help you take an important step in the right direction.
Step 3: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
We can learn so much about ourselves when we try new experiences. Have you ever taken a class you thought would be too difficult or stressful, only for you to enjoy the people you met and the ideas you learned that expanded your awareness? Sometimes, when we delve into the unknown and move outside our comfort zone, we encounter ideas that open whole new worlds to us and give us a new lease on life. I took a trip to my father’s homeland of Malta for the first time a couple of years ago, which inspired me to write a short story in a new genre that ended up getting published! It was a magical moment for me when I accomplished something I probably would not have tried without the foreign travel experience.
Step 4: Take Your Time and Do It Right
A teacher I greatly admired in grade school always used to say, “Practice makes perfect.” This might sound simplistic, but there is much wisdom in the statement. Taking the time to practice your networking or interview skills can help you feel more confident when speaking with a company about an open position. Or perhaps you need to practice even just broadening your perspective on your talents, to understand that you are more capable than you realize. If you feel like you are going in circles trying to find the magic that is missing from your life on your own, seek out the help of a mentor, counselor, spiritual advisor, or coach who can help you take steps to find the yellow brick road to the wizard inside you.
Step 5: Be a Hunter
We need to seek out, or hunt for, the magic we have within and then share our full potential with the world. Shifting our perspectives to actively go after what we feel could enhance our lives, instead of focusing on the “lack,” can allow us to travel on a journey that will bring us more fulfillment and joy. The New Work World welcomes those prospective employees who have the magical attitude of “Yes, I can make a valuable contribution to the bottom line,” as opposed to “I’m not sure I can handle that task.” That positive attitude makes all the difference to companies when they’re deciding whether to make offers during these changing times.
With Halloween right around the corner, be determined to make your own kind of magic in the New Work World. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said it best: “Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.”
Mary Ann Faremouth has been a regular contributor to the USA Daily Post since April of 2020.
