How much magic would you like to experience in your life?

What sort of magic, you are asking? Excellent question, I must admit, because I'm not talking about the wonders of the magic wand, the thrill of a lifetime, or bliss and instant enlightenment (without the endarkenment or shadow, of course). I'm aware that magazine headlines capture the 'blissful moments' many of us long for. And certainly, advertisements appeal to our almost manic need of the "WOW" factor in our lives, as do many TV programmes and talk shows. In short, it seems much of the Western world, at least, craves bedazzlement, a form of irresistible pleasure with which we tend to be blinded to the world within and around.

That's NOT the magic I have in mind even though I can certainly identify with the longing for the big "WOW" in my life. What about you? Are you longing to be bedazzled by the waving of the magic wand or the snapping of fingers–yours or somebody else's) through which your life changes miraculously?

What about a different way for you to live the magic that emerges from your everyday life? Just think for a minute about Buckminster Fuller's statement: "There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." For me, it evokes a sense of enchantment and deep satisfaction, which in turn reveals spaciousness and beauty, curiosity, connection and compassion. Are you game for an adventure? Here we go.  

I'm suggesting that the most enduring form of magic, bedazzlement or bliss arises for me when I realize, with all of my being, the truly extra-ordinary moments and aspects of my ordinary life. Are you still with me? I will do my best to provide you with examples and a succinct explanation.

Picture this: Two people meet in a two-minute conversation. One speaks as the other one listens attentively. The two people discover the Extra in the Ordinary when their seemingly ordinary encounter results in compassionate curiosity; where they generate new insights, learning and shared understanding.

This happened at a recent conference, where I asked the participants to engage in an empathetic listening exercise, which only lasted four minutes. You should have heard the spoken and unspoken "wows" that followed the two times two minutes. The speakers were amazed how freely they could talk when they knew the listener's job was to listen and to hold the space while giving feedback only through body language. Generally, listeners felt deeply heard, appreciated and loved in this process. In addition, as one participant revealed–and others concurred, she realized that she had answered her own questions because she felt immersed in a spaciousness on so vast she could hear her own inner voice (intuition, wise inner genius, high self, Spirit, Source or however you understand it) and accept her as guidance.

The listeners reported that they were equally 'bedazzled' by the experience. It had given them a sense of freedom because they did not have to think of something to say, to sound clever or empathetic, for instance. Not only could they remember almost verbatim what the speaker talked about (their minds did not have to prepare a response), they also felt intrigued and became increasingly more curious and engaged. The listening experience, despite it being silent, had turned into a true dialogue where new understanding was gained by both participants in the process.

Now, how is that for magic? Both parties felt transformed and full from the inside out. What do I mean by that? The participants felt complete, energized and motivated. A sense of awe inspired them. My hope and wish is that they still feel inspired enough to transfer this experience into other moments of their everyday lives. How is that for Discovering the Extra in the Ordinary?

This is just one small example of how we can relish our lives, moment by moment, as we discover the special character and gifts of each situation and encounter. Then we realize how rich a life we are living and perhaps relinquish our need to search for magic out there. Our consumer society serves as a great illustration of the never-ending thirst and hunger for more and different, along with increased hype and sensationalism to demonstrate that the outside-in approach does not work. As we know, out there usually does not suffice because gratification must arise from the inside out for a lasting effect.

What stories do you have to share that illustrate how powerfully we experience life when we Discover the Extra in the Ordinary?

Of course, you may experience the Extra in the Ordinary in a completely different way because nothing feels really that extraordinary at all. If that's the case, perhaps you are already living in that spaciousness of BEING, where life just is and that includes you. Take a good look and notice how remarkable such existence is. What is the Extra you can discover that you offer to yourself and others that enriches the ordinariness of the moment? I look forward to hearing your accounts of how you experience and model for all of us the Extra in the Ordinary.

Over the next few months, I will elaborate further on this topic of Discovering the Extra in the Ordinary. I will explore, among other ideas, how imagination and creativity I will present my ideas and understanding of this dynamic and creative process of living and learning that feels natural and nourishing from the inside (and insight) out. For now, I suggest you read further in my June newsletter , where I offer various perspectives on the 'Ordinary,' as seen by Shinzen Young, Eckhart Tolle, Ezra and Sarah McLachlen.