26 • September 2018 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


The Upbeat Times Entertains, Educates & Inspires! Living the Upbeat Life! Payment Assistance


Q: A:


to by Marcia Singer of Santa Rosa, CA. ~ www.lovearts.info ~ lovearts@att.net


Marcia, do you really believe in magic or miracles? What causes them?!


Well, depends on what is meant by that: potions, elix- ers, charms


or


wands? I can get behind that in joyful or playful ways that help stir belief in or anticipation of natural magic. Great results can happen with positive, compas- sionate or happy intent. And I admit to having had a share of miraculous experiences, large and small.


I tend to miraculous,


that what we call the magical or


results physical


laws of How Things Work in the world. These laws can be invisible


senses, like gravity, but operating all


the same. ‘Bad luck’ is an in- side out miracle. It comes from the same ‘laws’ as the kind of seemingly inexplicable events we so like. The dif- ferent


outcomes


believe from


arise from how open and full our hearts are in the moment the magic happens for us. Take my day today. In the midst of a very ordinary gig, I had a very magical experience. Mini miracle perhaps? Arriving at a high end memory care commu- nity, I was unable to fi nd any place to park. It happens often there…


big TV screen: annoying, and there’s just one resident in the activity room, while the others are in the dining room. OK, I settle into focusing on my job,


and improv-


ing my mood. Staff appears and soon another half dozen residents are seated before me as well. By the second song, my whole demean-


I had to park nearly


a half mile away, lugging my guitar, which is hard on my body, and tiring. So I walked in a bit disgruntled, and prepare to play guitar and sing. I can’t get the sound system off on the


or has shifted! I’m enjoying myself! One of the elder folks is dancing in her chair, ham- ming it up, having a glorious time. Her un-


com-


pli- is


cated spark sparking me. We


all do some ‘clap dancing’ to- gether, and laugh at a silly joke. Two attending staffers have joined us now, and one who had been tired and gloomy was now singing along and smiling too.


Is this not magical?? A small miracle??


A whole drawer


full of songs about magic and dreams pour out of me, one after another. When we get to Jiminy Cricket’s famous words to Pinocchio, a favorite magi- cal song, I‘m living the truth of the lyrics: “When you wish upon a star…” Yes, when you claim a dream… “Makes no difference who you are.” OK, there’s some laws at work here, same for everybody, anybody. “Anything your heart desires can come to you.” Got it: your heart has to be in it, it has to come from the heart. “When


your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.” The love in our hearts gives energy to drive our dreams, to make them come true. “When you wish upon a star like Dreamers do.” I see: IF you are a believ- er. This is key to birthing a mir- acle: Receptivity! A huge de- sire emanates from your open heart, mind, gains momentum –and you don’t mess it up with too much doubting. Here’s the scoop:


“Love is


kind, and brings to those who


love, the


sweet fulfi llment of their secret long-


ings…” Hmmmnn. The idea is that love, the basic feeling that lives and in kindles in our hearts –wants to be fulfi lled, and can be through our dream- ing, a right use of creative imagination.


Love is meant


to be realized, in some form or another. “Like a bolt out of the blue” –Surprise! “Fate steps in and helps you through.” I’m reminded here of words attributed to John Wolfgang von Goethe, about making your mind up to follow a dream, and the boldness and intention hav- ing magic and power in it –to attract all manner of things. “The moment one defi nitely commits oneself, then Provi- dence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the deci- sion, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen inci- dents and meetings and mate- rial assistance, which no man


could have dreamt would have come his way…” Synchron- icity,


serendipity miracle. magic,


Barry ‘O – “Whatever you can


do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” “When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.”


–Believe! Have


faith! Imagine it’s already here! Like the innocence of a child anticipating with joy… When my heart opens, when resis- tance ebbs, my moments are magical. At the memory care center, I got to feel like Cin- derella’s fairy godmother, my performance like a magic wand instigating –with a group of re- ceptive others –a small, every- day miracle. But a miracle all the same. The connection and playfulness I wanted to feel was there all along. Remind- ing me of the power of intend- ing Play?


Shine DeLight, L’Shanah


Tovah, Happy New Year to my Jewish kindreds, Marcia


the ... continued from page 24


County the income limit is $166,100. For Lake and Men- docino County


income


limit is $118,550 and for Marin County the income limit is $228,300. When trying to save up for


a down payment seems im- possible, and the family tree doesn’t seem to have any rich limbs willing to bestow the down


payment, CalHFA is


here to help. Combining all the layers of fi nancing you are able to structure your fi nanc- ing with no money no money down. You can review all their programs at http://www.calhfa. ca.gov/


26 • September 2018 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


When you think positive, good things happen. ~ Matt Kemp


MAGICAL


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