A Little Magic Can Change Your Career

Magical things is a tricky subject. Just the word "magic" might cause you to recoil in skepticism. Some people will believe; some will not. Those who scoff could reject the topic as strange or even assume that the speaker is probably a bit wacky. But making room for magic requires only a willing suspension of disbelief-just like going to the movies and hoping that a boy on a flying bicycle will be able to rescue his friend, E.T.

Magic is something many of us think of only during certain holidays or when a TV special featuring a world-renowned illusionist airs. But there is room for magic in our everyday lives, including our careers.

For years, Linda had wanted to write children's books. She had many ideas for stories, but never put a word of them on paper. What was stopping her? She knew nothing about how to get them published. Then she decided to begin telling as many people as possible about her goal and ask for help.

A month later, she was talking to a friend at work and mentioned what she wanted. Her co-worker casually replied, "Oh, I can help you with that. I used to work in publishing." Linda was astounded! If she hadn't asked, she might never have known about her friend's publishing know-how.

Sandra's career was in Internet technology during the boom times. She worked very hard and made more money than she had ever imagined she could, but didn't really enjoy what she was doing. She still dreamed about designing clothes. In fact, she had started designing and sewing her own clothes when she was 10. That career idea was pushed aside during college. Most of her classmates were pursuing careers in technology, and she jumped on that wagon, too.

When I spoke with her, she was completely burned out with her career and badly needed a vacation. She pictured herself in Hawaii, just sitting on the sand for a week and not thinking about work. She took the vacation and found her lounge chair on the beach. One day, she struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to her. They both were there to get away from work, so they agreed not to discuss their jobs.

They talked about many things, and Sandra told her new friend about her dream of becoming a designer. The lively conversation halted. Her friend was silent for a minute and then replied, "We said we wouldn't talk about our jobs, but I am in the fashion business. Do you have some sketches that you could send me when you get home?" Sandra was on her way to her ideal career.

Are these two cases just coincidences? I might think so if I hadn't heard many other examples of people putting their requests for help out there (in the universe). They talk about what they want, and they receive the assistance that they need.

You can call this networking, but some like to think of it as magic. (Or perhaps, "networking" is really just a modern word for creating your own magic?) Sharing your career goals--even if you don't think you can ever really achieve them--can bring truly magical results in the form of connections with total strangers or long-time friends and associates who hold the key to the achievement of your secret wishes. Whatever you choose to call it, the important part is your attitude. Do you believe that good things await you if you do the work necessary to make them happen? Could magical things possibly be waiting patiently for you? Is it time for you to sharpen your wits and start looking for some magic of your own?