Jack Canfield author. speaker. motivator.

Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]

Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington political powerhouse. media mogul. author.

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]

Seth Godin

Seth Godin author. speaker. linchpin.

Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]

Krishna Kaur

Krishna Kaur yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.

Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]

Norman Lear

Norman Lear producer. philanthropist. tv legend.

Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]

Leilani Münter

Leilani Münter race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.

Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]

Kevin Bales

Kevin Bales Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.

By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery’s penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]

Sophie Chiche

Sophie Chiche mom. TED-talker. no-bullsh**er.

Sophie Chiche, founder of lifebyme.com, is the single mom of an amazing 16-year-old, Leah, and wicked step-mom of 22-year-old, Sarah. They all live in LA. You can find them boxing, cooking, collaging, hosting brunches, laughing their head off or bickering over who’s washing and who’s drying the dishes.

Mastin Kipp

Mastin Kipp Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.

Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]

Liz Phair

Liz Phair singer. musician. crier.

Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu archbishop. author. peaceful leader.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]

Zainab Salbi

Zainab Salbi author. ceo. humanitarian.

Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]

Sean Stephenson

Sean Stephenson speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.

Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He’s a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]

Kia Miller

Kia Miller yogi. meditator. teacher.

Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]

Simon Mainwaring

Simon Mainwaring creator. writer. idea geek.

Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]

Shannon Bindler

Shannon Bindler Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.

Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]

Mathieu Bitton

Mathieu Bitton Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.

Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He’s a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]

Jorge Perez

Jorge Perez Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.

Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com

magic

Matthew Joyce higher self guide. spiritual integrator. dolphin whisperer.

Matthew Joyce is a spirit guide. He founded Higher Self Guides to remind people that divine spirituality isn’t just for mystics. It’s for you, too. [www.higherselfguides.com]

Have you ever seen a magician perform a card trick?

The magician invites you up on stage and asks you to pick a card and show it to the audience, unbeknownst to him. You do. It’s the seven of hearts.

You put the card back in the deck and the magician shuffles the cards. Then he presents you with a card. Even without looking at it you know it’s your card. It’s not the queen of spades or the four of clubs. You turn it over and, sure enough, it’s the seven of hearts.

So how does the magician do it?

It’s not really magic. The magician distracts you to keep you from paying attention to how the trick is done.

It’s the same thing with the trick of manifesting the things you want in life. Except when it comes to your life, you’re not just the volunteer from the audience. You’re also the magician.

When I realized I was the magician, my life began to change.

Until that realization, life felt random. Sometimes things happened as I wanted. Other times not. And, frustratingly, the results I experienced didn’t necessarily correspond with my level of effort.

So I started paying attention to how I was creating my own life experiences. I put things in slow motion and observed them step by step. What I discovered was empowering.

Creation is not just something that happened at the beginning of the universe – or the beginning of my life. It’s happening continuously. And, as a part of creation, I’m constantly creating in every moment. I am a creative dynamo.

When life doesn’t give me the exact card I want, it isn’t because I’m incapable of creating it. It’s because I’m not paying enough attention to how I’m using my creative power.

When we pay attention to the world around us and the world inside us – our thoughts, emotions, and actions – we begin to consciously direct our ceaseless creative energy into what we actually want to experience in life, rather than inadvertently directing it into things we don’t want.

That’s how we create magic.

When you stop acting like the unwitting audience member and start acting like the magician, you’ll be amazed at the abundance and joy that fill your life.

- Matthew Joyce

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Your Turn

Are you acting like the magician of your life?
What would you like to create?
How can you harness your creative energy to do that?

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