My View of Magic: The Soft Science of Becoming More Yourself.

Magic has always gotten a bad reputation, too childish, too whimsical, too “out there.” But here’s the truth I’ve learned over and over:

Magic isn’t something rare. It’s something forgotten.

It’s the thing we lose when we grow up too fast, armor up too hard, and let the world pile too many expectations onto our shoulders. It’s the thing we remember when we finally get quiet enough to breathe again.

So here’s what magic really means to me, and maybe to you too.

1. Magic begins where life’s pressure ends.

In a world that is constantly asking us to be more productive, more polished, more “on,” magic becomes the exhale, the moment the pressure loosens and the softness comes back.

Magic lives in the places where you’re not trying so hard.
Where curiosity is allowed.
Where play sneaks in.
Where you remember that you’re human before you are anything else.

We’re not meant to live in constant tension.
Magic is what happens when you finally put the weight down.

2. Play isn’t childish — it’s restorative.

Play is medicine.
The real kind.

When you play, you step outside the rigid lines of adulthood and back into possibility. Your brain lights up. Your nervous system unclenches. The parts of you that were buried under routine and responsibility poke their heads out again.

Play helps you reconnect with the version of you that isn’t performative, pressured, or exhausted.

It’s not silly.
It’s essential.

3. Creativity is a spell that fills your cup.

Every time you create something, and I do mean anything, you shift your energy.

Crafting, writing, painting, rearranging your living room, daydreaming about a life you haven’t lived yet… it all counts. Creativity pulls you out of stagnation and back into motion.

It’s a portal.
A small act.
But a giant shift.

Creating reminds you that you have the power to shape something, even if it’s just a moment.

4. Joy is a powerful frequency.

Joy isn’t frivolous.
Joy is regulation.
Joy is data.

When you let little moments of joy in, the warm mug in your hands, the sun on your face, the smell of something delicious… you literally change your internal chemistry.

Your stress hormones soften.
Your mind clears.
Your body responds.

Joy is a tuning fork.
When you let yourself feel it, even briefly, you come into alignment with yourself again.

5. Your thoughts shape your reality.

Not in the “manifest a yacht by Tuesday” way.
In the deeply human, scientifically grounded way.

Your beliefs influence your behavior.
Your behavior influences your outcomes.
Your outcomes reinforce your beliefs.

It’s a loop and a powerful one.

This is why mindset work matters. Not because it creates magic out of thin air, but because it changes how you show up in your life.

Thoughts → Feelings → Actions → Reality
That’s the spell. (Abracadabra)

6. Magic is the interaction between mind and matter.

People love to argue about whether magic is “real,” and honestly?
I think they’re missing the point.

Magic is simply what happens when your inner world and your outer world respond to each other.

When a thought shifts an emotion.
When an emotion shifts a decision.
When a decision shifts your life.

Mind → Body → Behavior → Outcome.
That’s the most ancient magic there is.

7. The placebo effect proves belief changes outcomes — and that is magic.

People love to laugh at the placebo effect like it’s a trick.
But think about what it actually means:

Your mind can create real, measurable, physiological changes… using nothing but belief.

Pain decreases.
Anxiety softens.
Healing accelerates.

If that isn’t magic, what is?

Your belief system is not decoration — it’s a powerful tool your brain takes seriously.

8. Magic isn’t about escaping reality — it’s about co-creating with it.

Magic isn’t denial.
It’s direction.

It’s choosing to participate in your life with intention instead of autopilot. It’s curiosity, creativity, belief, imagination, and action working together.

Magic is the blend of:
✨ Creativity
✨ Curiosity
✨ Belief
✨ Intention

It’s how you shape your world instead of just reacting to it.

Magic isn’t something to chase, it’s something to practice.

Guess what… you’re already doing it, whether you realize it or not.

Notes & Peer-Reviewed Science Supporting This View

1. Play reduces stress and improves emotional well-being.
Playfulness increases positive affect, resilience, and cognitive flexibility.

• Proyer, R. (2017). International Journal of Play.

2. Creativity improves mood, reduces anxiety, and regulates the nervous system.
Engaging in creative activity increases positive emotion and reduces stress markers.

• Conner, T. et al. (2018). The Journal of Positive Psychology.

3. Joy and positive emotion shift neurochemistry.
Positive emotions activate parasympathetic regulation and broaden cognitive capacity.

• Fredrickson, B. (2001). American Psychologist.

4. Thoughts influence emotional and behavioral outcomes.
Cognitive appraisal directly affects physiological and behavioral responses.

• Gross, J. (2015). Psychological Inquiry.

5. Visualization and imagination activate real neural pathways.
Mental imagery and real experience trigger similar brain regions.

• Kosslyn, S. (2001). Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

6. Belief (placebo effect) creates measurable physiological change.
Expectation influences pain, immune response, and neurological activity.

• Benedetti, F. (2005). Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology.