Magic

I-M-Possible

You Are Magic. Illustration by Ira Jaaska

Cat was hungry and needed to get some food. But today she felt more fatigued than on other days.  She pushed forward slowly, fantasising once again how much faster life could be if she could fly.  But she was reminded daily by everyone to stop her idle daydreaming and asking for the impossible.  

Others: “You will never be able to fly Cat. You don't have wings!!  That is a fact you must accept.”

Cat: “I might do it one day.” 

“Yeah, yeah! Maybe if you have a magic wand”, they mocked her.

Cat wondered how everyone could be so sure of all things. How did they know what are all the possibilities in life?

She felt the hunger pang again and kept pushing forward. She was getting rather big these days, no wonder she was so hungry. She had already got a new coat as the one before was too small.  

Eventually, after having a hearty meal, Cat paused to rest.  The sun was shining today and its warmth enveloped her, making her feel sleepy. She spotted a nice tree and decided it was the perfect resting place. She hung her silk scarf above her head and before she knew it, she fell into a deep sleep.

Cat dreamt of her mum. She was so beautiful with a colourful personality. As she flew up in the sky, Cat shouted out loud pointing at her:  “That's my mummy”.  But all others looked at her with pity: “Poor Cat, she is so delusional.  She is always dreaming the impossible”.

When Cat woke up, it was dark. As she tried to move, she realised she was stuck. Why couldn't she move? How long had she been sleeping? She started to panic. Her worst nightmare had come true, she was imprisoned. 

“Help, help!”, she shouted out loud. 

Cat heard a kind voice: “Hello”

Cat: “Hello! My name is Cat. Please help me. I can't move. I can't see. I am afraid.  I don't know what is happening to me!”

Angel:  “My name is Angel. I can't see you either. You seem to be protected and I don't know how to reach you.”

Cat: “You see me as protected? I don't feel that way.”

Angel: “The way I see you, is protected. I don't want to break through your protection. Are you hurting?”

Cat: “No”

Angel: “Do you feel unwell?”

Cat: “No. I am just very tired.”

Angel: “Take advantage and rest. Have faith - perhaps there is a reason you are stuck. Maybe you need more time!  I wait here and keep an eye on you.”

Cat: “Oh thank you.  Even though I can't see you, knowing there is someone out there who cares for me, makes me feel so much better. “

Cat soon fell asleep.  So did Angel.

As the sun came up the next day, and Angel opened his eyes, he suddenly remembered his promise and looked under the tree but he couldn't see the protected Cat anymore.  

“Cat??” Angel shouted out loud, “Cat, where are you?”

Angel chastised himself for having fallen asleep. 

“I am here”, Angel heard Cat’s cheerful voice from above.

Angel looked up:  “I can't see you”

“You are looking directly at me”, Cat said smiling

Angel’s mouth fell open: “Wow. You are so beautiful. All the colours.  You have wings.”

Cat: “I know! The impossible has become possible. I wish my mum was here to see me.  Finally, I look like her. I feel so different. How did I change so much, it's like magic. I think I will change my name to suit my new look”

Angel: “Why not?! What will you call yourself?”

Cat: “Butterfly”.

A butterfly needs a specific duration to develop fully in order to escape from its chrysalis. If we were to help it escape earlier, it would be doomed. Their struggle is directly linked and critical to their freedom. Our struggles in life pave the way to our maturation.

With a bit of magic, faith and love, what seems impossible may change to I’M-Possible.

• Personal:

  • What can we learn from Cat’s struggle to break away from self-limiting beliefs?

• Parenting:

  We want our children to believe in Father Christmas, Tooth Fairy…, magic. 

• What is the advantage of having faith in magic?  

• What is the impact of us sharing stories that convey the idea that magic is outside of ourselves?

• Organisation:

  • What is possible in an organisation if people owned their inner magic? 

My christmas gift to you:

• I wave my magic wand today to send you- the reader, one wish. Make a wish!

• Now, I pass the magic wand to you to grant someone else a wish.  Who would you grant one wish to?

”Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

-Chris Van Allsburg