This week I’ve been reading a book that you might have heard of: ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl.
For those of you that don’t know…
‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ is a 1946 book chronicling Viktor Frankl’s experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
It’s a harrowing yet fascinating read and a book I recommend everyone read at some point in their lives.
(just make sure you’re in the right mindset.)
Here’s something I learnt this week that applies to every aspect of our lives, but also magic!
See at one point in the book Victor Frankl points out that much of what we believe to be our ‘natural tendencies’…
…e.g. I’m a light sleeper, I ALWAYS need 8 hours of sleep, I CAN’T eat that.
Completely fade away in light of life’s circumstances.
See, a man that used to wake at the slight squeak of a door can suddenly fall asleep in minutes even pressed up against 7 other men in a bunk bed with nothing but his shoes for a pillow.
Humans adapt.
In my opinion, many tendencies we believe we have are only a product of comfort.
That doesn’t make them invalid of course, why would we put ourselves through discomfort if we don’t have to?
But they would still fade away in light of a larger issue.
So how does this apply to magic?
Well…
Sometimes we believe we simply CAN’T perform a trick or we simply CAN’T perform this sleight or that sleight in front of a live audience.
And some of the time maybe we’re right, however as I recently found out at a dinner party, when the adrenaline kicks in and there’s no choice but to perform—we can perform.
My invitation to you all is to take some aspect of magic you simply refuse to bring out in public and just do it.
Who knows, maybe it was simply the comfort of not having to perform it which was the only thing holding you back!
Good luck.
Jacob.