“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” —John Fitzgerald Kennedy
In this Museletter:
Hello magical friends,
Here we are, fast approaching my favorite time of year, when, for one day, we turn our awareness to the magic of gratitude and thankfulness. When I was growing up, there was a practice around my family’s Thanksgiving dinner table, that during the meal, each person would have a chance to talk about what they were thankful for. Sometimes, the lists were rather mundane: a nice dinner, having the whole family together, a break from school. Sometimes, the lists were more special, a good outcome after surgery, acceptance into the hoped-for school, a well-deserved promotion. I can remember a particularly funny moment when my sister expressed how thankful she was for the new bike she was going to get during the upcoming holidays….
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” —Epictetus
Thanksgiving, the time of harvest and abundance is a time to see how much we have, to know that we have enough to make it through the dark times ahead, and to share with family and friends, and with those whose harvests were less bountiful than ours. Gratitude, and an awareness of how much we have makes us feel full, and when we feel full, we want to give back, either by lending a hand at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, maybe offering a free show, or by making a donation to a favorite charity (me, personally, I like Farm Sanctuary: http://www.farmsanctuary.org). There is something very inspiring about helping others; it’s a surefire way for me to improve my mood and lift my spirits as well.
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” —Thornton Wilder
I really do think there is something magical about gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude is the key that opens the door for abundance and grace to enter. By focusing on what is good, on the gifts we already have, we magnify and amplify them. Robert Emmons, professor of Psychology at the University of California at Davis, has been engaged in the scientific study of gratitude for over a decade, and his work consistently shows that people who consciously acquire an “attitude of gratitude” experience multiple advantages. Check it out here: http://gratitudepower.net/science.htm
“Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” —Estonian Proverb
One of my favorite tools is the gratitude list, where I start with A and go through to Z, coming up with something to be grateful about for each letter of the alphabet… and of course, my gratitude on the letter J is always for Jeff. We wish you a bountiful harvest and a magical thanksgiving.
Abigail & Jeff
P.S. Some of our new friends were asking about my music. You can find my CDs here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/asmcbride
and more of my writings are available here:
http://www.spinnersweb.net
The Commando Show and Survival Tips
Learn how to arrange your show to become a “commando show,” the show that you can do ANYWHERE at ANYTIME! In this lecture from Magic in the Rockies, Jeff shares his real world methods for packing small, with a portable show that plays big. Not only will you learn great magic effects, but also the psychology and philosophy behind them. Make your magic more powerful and practical. Jeff also offers us sage advice and survival tips to keep you alive on the front lines of magic.
From Tobias
And along with all of the other good things to be grateful for around this time of year, we have our good health and good friends. Some of you may have been aware that our good friend and Mystery School faculty member, George Parker, was recently in quite a bad car accident. We’re all very pleased to hear that he is healing well… and almost ready to start practicing his sleight-of-hand once again!
Speaking of faculty — we are blessed to have such a great group of talented friends on the faculty… both on a full-time basis, and as special guests. Every year Ross Johnson makes time in his schedule to share with our Master Class for Mentalism — and this year I hear he has agreed to share the real work behind his amazing Question & Answer act. This is stuff that has never appeared in print or on video — the killer closer of his act which he has been refining — and keeping as his own secret weapon — for years. We still have a couple of slots left in the mentalism class. I’d advise that you sign up quickly, though, as the class is likely to be sold out within the next few days. We’re exceedingly grateful that Ross is willing to work with us each year.
We are also blessed with another wonderful guest teacher this year. Ricardo Rosenkranz, M. D., from the faculty of the medical school at Northwestern University, is helping to create a whole new approach for our Magic & Medicine event. Larry Hass & Eugene Burger have been working closely with Ricardo, and through his work we have managed to obtain CME credit for the class for the first time. We know you’ll love both Ricardo and the new material.
Before I end this, I just wanted to express our special thanks to our former student and sometime staff member, Jay Fortune. Jeff will be attending the International Festival of Magic in London during the middle of this month…and Jay has kindly agreed to arrange a full-on “McBride Magic Experience” the following weekend in Bristol. Visit Jeff’s calendar and click the links to learn more about those events.
We hope you will each find that your world’s are as filled to the brim with things that inspire your gratitude. Have a magical month!
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com