1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: tip is that there is no such thing as magic. 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: What looks like magic is generally skilled labor that is 5 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: kept invisible. So if you want magic, it's up to 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: you to make it happen. But the good news is 7 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: that you probably can make it happen. And on those 8 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: occasions when we see magic, sometimes it is even more 9 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: magical when we acknowledge this. Today's tip comes from an 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: unexpected source. Longtime listeners may recall that in twenty twenty 11 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: three I wrote a sonnet every week, that is a 12 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: fourteen line poem in iambic Pa with a certain rhyming scheme. 13 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: Late in the year, I wrote one of those sonnets 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: about the seeming magic of Christmas with beautifully decorated trees 15 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: and wrapped packages amid the bleakness of winter. Here are 16 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,479 Speaker 1: a few lines from that poem. I sit in silence, 17 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: gazing at my tree, all trimmed with baubles, softly glowing lights, 18 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: a beacon in the window greeting me, acknowledging the lateness 19 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: of these nights. When I was wrapping presents, tying bows. 20 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: All magic is just labor hidden well. The poem goes 21 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: on from there, but I heard from a lot of 22 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: readers about that last line, all magic is just labor 23 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: hidden well. My Christmas tree was beautiful, magical seeming, with 24 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: the ornaments and lights and presents underneath, but it wasn't 25 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: actually magic. I made it happen. I decided I wanted 26 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: a particularly showy tree, and I made sure we got one. 27 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: I spent hours figuring out what my kids wanted and 28 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: ordering and shopping for gifts, and I spent lots of 29 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: time wrapping the gifts in bright, shiny paper with extra 30 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: bows and ribbons. All of this was not magic. At times, 31 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: it felt like a slog, but with the effort in 32 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: late nights behind me, as I sat looking at my 33 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,839 Speaker 1: tree on December morning, it felt like magic. I think 34 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: it's empowering to realize that apparent magic results from labor, 35 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: because that means we aren't dependent on something outside of 36 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 1: ourselves to make magic happen. We can do it ourselves. 37 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: We may need to invest a lot of effort, but 38 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: when we do, delight can ensue. It feels great to 39 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 1: make magic for other people, whether that's with Christmas decorations 40 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: and gifts, a transporting dinner party or Halloween costume that 41 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: makes a child's dream a reality. Now this is not 42 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: to say that we need to do more invisible labor. 43 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: I bet a lot of people listening to this podcast 44 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: are already doing a lot of thankless invisible labor. But 45 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: we do have the power to use our creativity, time 46 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 1: and effort to delight those we love by making magic 47 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: for them. And we can make magic for ourselves too. 48 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: If you want a show stopping vacation, you can dream 49 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: up how to make it happen and execute on it. 50 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: If you want a gorgeous Thanksgiving spread like you see 51 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: in magazines, you can figure out how to gussy up 52 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: your dining room, create an autumnal tablescape, and make all 53 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: those elaborate dishes that look so scrumptious. If you are 54 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: wishing to be celebrated for a particular accomplishment, well book 55 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: the venue, invite the people, and create the party of 56 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: your dreams. As a corollary, when you experience something magical, 57 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: you can repeat that same phrase, all magic is just 58 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: labor hidden Well that magician has practiced to make his 59 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: tricks look effortless. That sequence of pyrotechnics at a concert 60 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: was rehearsed until they simply couldn't fail. That teacher who 61 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: can get a rambunctious little kid interested in a book 62 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: is not actually possessed of magical powers. She is just really, 63 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: really good at her job. So let's acknowledge that humans 64 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: can do utterly amazing things when they think it through 65 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: and work really hard. I find hard labor more impressive 66 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: than magic. Actually keeping this phrase in mind empowers us 67 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: to keep attempting ambitious wonders. Have you made any magic lately? 68 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear about it. You can reach me 69 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime, 70 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 71 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 72 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 73 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 74 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 75 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 76 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.