How to be Your Own Genie Read online

  You might have noticed that I capitalized the word Genie. Well, that was on purpose. After all, we capitalize the word God—which, not so coincidentally, starts with the same letter as Genie. Whether you prefer to use God, Divine, Source, or Universe, all these words basically express the same concept: We are all connected. We’re all a part of God, and there’s a little bit of God in all of us.

  This magic within you, the part of yourself that allows you to live a very magical life, is the bit of God within you. In other words, your direct connection with the Divine is the Genie energy!

  In this chapter, I’m going to explain how to access your inner Genie, as well as what might have blocked your ability to successfully work with the magic within you . . . until now.

  WHAT IS MAGIC?

  I’ve chosen to live a magical life. But what does it mean to live a magical life, exactly, and what am I referring to when I use the word magic?

  When I say “life is magic” or that there’s magic flowing through all of us, I’m talking about that same energy that connects us all. My experience of that energy is one of total joy! It’s one of infinite opportunities and the ability to create the life you want to live.

  We often think of magic as being the big things that happen in our lives. Sometimes it is! But like a tiny snowball rolling downhill, gaining speed and size as it travels, the magic in our lives most often starts with little things that turn into much bigger pieces of our “dreams come true” as time goes by. Magic shows up when we come to believe in it.

  Everything that everyone does on planet Earth has powerful importance. The key is not necessarily what you’re doing . . . but how you’re perceiving what you’re doing.

  Some people say perception is reality. I get that. I agree that how we perceive the world in many ways determines the kind of world we wind up living in. But magic is also brought to life by perception. For example, you might see coincidences as charming but not really noteworthy. You may view kind words that come from a stranger as nice but of no great consequence, even if you desperately needed to hear them. You might barely register signs from Heaven, like white feathers or pennies on the ground or butterflies —and even if you do notice them, you may think, So what?

  Instead, I would urge you to look upon those things as magical interludes from the Universe. Clues that you’re on the right path. Hints that your needs are noticed and provided for. Messages that you’re loved.

  Having a magical life is intertwined with, and inseparable from, faith. It comes from believing that you’re meant to be happy and knowing that you can make your dreams come true. Having a magical life requires having trust that you’re on a Divine path meant to lead you somewhere amazing.

  It also means believing in the Genie that’s within you, just waiting for you to start making wishes.

  When it comes to having a magical life, I take nothing for granted. I look for meaning in everything that happens. Sometimes that meaning eludes me. My longest search for the meaning of something that had happened to me took eight years. And yet, in all that time, I never stopped doubting that there was a purpose behind the experience I’d had. When the meaning did eventually present itself, I realized that it had been one of the most important things that had ever happened to me! It might be tempting to think that the longer you wait for the meaning, the bigger the meaning is, but big meaning can also come in an instant.

  When you’re constantly paying attention to what the Divine has to offer you, the magic of life becomes impossible to miss. When you believe that everything (and I do mean everything) in your life happens for the sole purpose of bringing you nearer to God and to a life of joy, then happiness finds you!

  However, not everything is about you. Sometimes you’ll get the opportunity to play a part in someone else’s magical moment. For example, I might see, hear, or be a part of something that doesn’t seem to have magical meaning to me, but my presence in that moment might make the magic mean something to someone else. Because I’m so in tune to the magic of life, I often find myself explaining to other people the miracle of something that just happened. Just a case of right time, right place? Simply a coincidence? Or did Heaven put me where I could help someone else see the magic?

  Here’s an example: Not too long ago, I was talking to a friend while we walked along a busy street. She agonized over whether or not she should quit her job in order to follow her dream of opening her own bakery. As she explained all the pros and cons of taking such an action, I suddenly noticed a billboard across the street. I started laughing uncontrollably and pointing at the sign, which said “Just do it!” My friend had been standing with her back to the billboard and undoubtedly would never have noticed it had I not pointed it out to her. That was a magical moment that had absolutely nothing to do with me. I was just there to bring her attention to that magical message from Heaven.

  These moments prove to me that the Divine is working through my inner Genie to help make wishes come true. I believe in magic, so life allows me the blessed opportunity to spread it around.

  BEWARE THE EGO TRIP

  Perhaps the biggest block to accessing the inner Genie is the ego. When I use the term ego, I’m referring to the part of your mind that works at cross-purposes with you. It’s the aspect of your consciousness (and sometimes the subconscious) telling you that you’re not good enough. That somehow you’re not worthy of happiness, success, or a magical life.

  Your ego causes you to second-guess yourself and doubt your ability to accomplish the things you wish to create in the world. It tries to convince you that you’re separated from God and cut you off from the magic of the Universe that’s meant to be your birthright. It’s the nagging voice you hear in your head that says you’re not pretty enough, you’re not skinny enough, you’re not funny enough, you’re not smart enough . . . you’re just not enough.

  I don’t know about you, but I’m seriously considering contacting an attorney about getting a restraining order on my ego. You know . . . something along the lines of: My ego can’t speak to me. Must stay at least 50 feet away. If it accidentally shows up at the same place I’m at, then it must vacate the premises immediately.

  I mean, wouldn’t that be super cool? But, alas, your ego is sewn to your steps much like Peter Pan’s shadow. Wherever you go, it’s there, too.

  In its own little way, the ego is trying to help; it’s not trying to be mean. It thinks it’s protecting you from disappointment, sadness, and emotional or physical harm. But what it really does is keep you from the happiness that comes from being able to access the magic of life. It’s as if it’s constantly running around with a shovel, trying to keep your knowledge of your inner magic buried.

  One of the things that can define how much power your ego has over you is your childhood. If your parents were fearful or anxious people, that same negative energy may have been programmed into you. In their desire to love and protect you, they may have reinforced the unfortunate influence of your ego over your life. Perhaps, in their desire to push you to be successful, they frequently pointed out characteristics of yours that they perceived as being “not enough.” You may have taken their critical words to heart, instilling your tendency to listen and believe the negative thoughts of your ego.

  But you mustn’t believe it! When your ego tries to tell you to act like an adult or that you’re not good enough or that magic doesn’t exist in the world, do what I do. Stick your fingers in your ears and say, “Lalalalalalalalalalala!”

  The ego hates that.

  THE INFINITE INFANT

  In order to truly awaken and empower your inner Genie to create things that make you happy, you have to realize you have the power within you. However, most people aren’t in touch with that part of themselves. Similar to the “inner child,” which refers to the playful and carefree aspects of you that may be hidden from your consciousness, your inner Genie is the part of you that’s connected to the magic of the Universe possibly without your being fully conscious of i
t.

  There’s a reason why I related the “inner child” with the “inner Genie.” Our ability to create magic in our lives is at its most powerful when it arises from a place of joy, purity of intention, and belief. These qualities come naturally to children. We arrive in this world innocent and trusting, fully expecting our needs to just magically be taken care of. As children of the Divine, we’re infinite examples of love, or “infinite infants”!

  Part of having control of your inner Genie is being in touch with your infinite infant. You deserve to have all your needs met in a joyful and uplifting way throughout your entire life!

  The ego will try to convince you that everyone in the world is special and magical—except you. Getting in touch with your inner Genie will erase that false notion from your mind. Your magic is unique to you, and getting to know it will remind you that you are indeed special. You are amazing. There’s no one else like you, and therefore the world needs you to be as fully authentic as possible, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

  Because . . . you are wonderful.

  TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HABITUAL THINKING

  Getting in touch with your inner Genie requires being awake to the ego. It necessitates being in control of your thoughts, because they are, in essence, the wishes you’re making.

  Thoughts are powerful things. The thoughts and feelings that we focus our attention upon dictate the experiences we have. Unfortunately, the daily chatter from the outside world, as well as our own inner dialogue, tends to focus on the things that we perceive to be wrong or not going the way we want them to. We spare only momentary notice to the wonderful things that happen every single day—if we give them any notice at all.

  Thus, negative thinking becomes a habit. We’re told that life is not fair, so expecting the worst becomes second nature. We’re expected to give up our dreams and belief in magic in favor of careers that make us unhappy just so that we adhere to society’s expectations of success.

  Think for a moment about how often you anticipate that something won’t go the way you want it to. How often are you right? It’s a lot of the time, isn’t it? Wow, you must be pretty darn psychic! (Well, you are, but that’s not my point here.)

  You often expect things to turn out contrary to your liking—so they do. You’re tapped into the Genie within and don’t even know it, yet that inner Genie is working very diligently. Your anticipation or expectation is a wish. Even when you dread something, it means that you expect/wish for a negative outcome, which the magic of the Universe duly provides.

  See? The magic is real! The trick is to turn that energy around so that your inner Genie is granting happy wishes instead of unhappy or fearful ones. Once you get control of your thoughts, you can start using them to weave magic in your life in a way that brings you joy.

  Your emotions also have the power to direct the flow of magic. However, your emotions are almost always just a reflection of your thoughts. So when your thoughts are negative or in a depressed state, your emotions will follow. I call this the “corkscrew effect.” The more negative your thoughts, the more that corkscrew grinds downward, taking your emotions with it. When your thoughts and feelings are both in a negative state, the magic that happens is quite unpleasant.

  To remove a corkscrew, the process must be reversed. In this case, that means you must first focus your efforts on uplifting your emotions so that you can then work on your thoughts. (We’ll talk more about that in Chapter 4 in the section called “Happy Magic.”)

  BREAK FREE FROM THE COMPARISON TRAP

  One of the ways in which you lose control of your thoughts is through comparing yourself to other people. To demonstrate why this is the case, I’d like to share something that happened to me right after graduating college.

  My first job as an accountant was with an amazing publishing company in a Southern city. It was hands down the best place in the city to work—if not the entire state. To have the opportunity to work there was an incredible blessing, and I was lucky enough to be hired straight out of college. I still look back upon that time with fondness.

  Not too long after I began working there, my boss and mentor hired a very talented woman by the name of Glenna. Although I had started working there before Glenna, she had more experience than I did. I found myself weighing my successes against hers and holding the recognition I got for them up to the standard of her achievements. Because I was younger and inexperienced, I found myself always feeling as though I was just behind her. Never quite measuring up. In short, I was comparing myself to Glenna at every turn.

  Well, let me tell you, my ego had a field day with that! I created a great deal of turmoil for myself (as well as for my boss) by indulging in my insecurities. It also placed Glenna and me in an adversarial relationship. At some point, I finally realized that comparing myself to Glenna was making me severely unhappy. I was using my connection to the magic of life only to create upheaval, damage to my self-confidence, and unnecessary drama.

  When I finally stopped this unhappy practice, Glenna and I grew very close. She became one of my very best friends in the world at the time, and to this day she is someone I look upon with great respect and admiration.

  If you’re going to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to who you wish to be. Then use your Genie magic to make the wish to become that person come true.

  MAGICAL LIFE 101

  To get in touch and have a fantastic relationship with your inner Genie, there are a few basic principles that you need to understand. The following are concepts that you need to accept and integrate into your life to move forward through this magical guide. (Don’t worry—I’ll be explaining each of them in much more detail in later chapters.)

  Each is a skill like any other, a little like going to the gym. (Don’t groan.) All I’m saying is that you start small and build up. But if you can harness the faith, your power will grow really, really fast!

  1. The first principle is to stay awake. I’m serious. You have to be awake . . . aware . . . paying attention! It’s important to notice each moment and everything that happens, with one eye trained to look for a magical message. You might find it, or you might not. (As I said before, not everything is about you. Sometimes you’re just standing in to help with someone else’s magic.) But the more you pay attention, the more you notice, and the more magic comes your way! It might take effort at first to stay awake, but in a very short time it just becomes natural.

  2. The second thing to do is to give up the concept of coincidences. There aren’t any coincidences, only synchronicities. While they may seem like coincidences, they’re actually little magical events that are meant to be like messages in a Genie bottle just for you! Don’t ignore them or wave them away. Note if something happens that makes you go, “Whoa! That was weird!” It probably wasn’t just an odd event but, instead, Heaven trying to tell you something.

  Synchronicities happen all the time as a way for the Divine to help you out. Think of them as bread crumbs leading you on your path toward joy. The more you pay attention to them and give them credence, the more they’ll happen!

  Here’s an example: Recently, some friends of mine were trying to make a decision about where to go on vacation. The mom wanted to take the kids to the beach, but the dad had been thinking that the kids were the perfect age for a trip to Walt Disney World. They were discussing the pros and cons as they got into their car to run some errands, and when mom turned on the ignition, a commercial for Disney immediately played on the radio.

  Now, you might think, Huh. That’s an interesting coincidence. No! That’s a synchronicity. That’s a message from Heaven saying: “Take the kids to Disney! You’ll have a blast!”

  3. The next principle is to be aware that people, and their presence in your life, are magical. Have you ever met someone and just instantly had a strong emotion toward them? If you think that’s no big deal or has no deeper meaning, then you’re missing something amazing. Sometimes you meet someone and your heart just doe
s a little jump! This can lead to romance, but it doesn’t have to. I knew the moment I met my friend Dan that his coattails were lined with magic. The first time I met my dear friend Doreen Virtue, she took my hand to say hello and neither of us could let go. Whether you feel an instant like or dislike for someone, be sure to pay attention.

  You should also know that the Universe, if you ask it to, will send you mentors. (Sometimes you’ll get them even if you don’t ask.) Embrace them! Often these people will be on a path similar to yours and will teach you something about your journey as you go along. Sometimes they might be on a very different path that’s so unappealing that it affirms the direction you’re going. Then, when life sends you people to be a mentor to, pay it forward.

  4. Another important principle is to accept that angels are real. (You’re currently reading a book about magic and becoming your own Genie, so I figure you can handle this bit about the angels without too much of a struggle.) Heaven is always trying to help you through any challenge or in the manifesting of any dream you have. Think of angels as being sort of the Genies of Heaven—always trying to help make your wishes come true! However, angels honor your God-given free will. So if you want their help, you have to ask them—just like you would a Genie! Create a relationship with your angels and your life will improve in ways you can’t imagine.

  5. Our next principle is simple: Have faith. Believe. Having a strong and powerful faith that the Universe loves you is one of the best things you can ever do for yourself. We’re going back to the metaphorical gym here, but faith is a muscle you build up. It’s literally like developing a strong heart. Faith is a magnet for joy. Joy is a magnet for magic.

  I don’t mean to steal a line from any amazing spiritual divas here, but as author and publisher Louise Hay always said, “Life loves you.” It just does. In life, things will happen that will bring you great happiness and laughter. Life will also bring you sadness and tears. Both are powerful guides leading you toward the highest joy possible. The happy stuff is easy to see right away. The not-so-happy stuff takes more faith. So . . . have faith!