POSITIVITY
  • Workshops
    • 3 Pillars of Positivity >
      • Mindset
      • Purpose
      • Relationships
    • Grow with the Flow
    • Calendar
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Books
    • Shop
  • Connect
Picture
Subscribe

The Real Secret of Magic

4/20/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Read the full story ⬇︎

Magicians are often asked, “How’d you do that?” Many people assume it has something to do with subtle misdirection—a little smoke here or a perfectly placed mirror there—but the real answer may surprise you, and it’s a secret I stumbled upon quite by accident.

​
Though the seeds of this discovery were planted much earlier, perhaps the best place to begin is when I was invited to audition for the first season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. I had been preparing my whole life for that moment, so when the big day came, I packed my best magic act, drove to Union Station, hopped the train to Grand Central, and walked to the audition. When I arrived, the line to get in wrapped around the block, so I patiently fell in line and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

But I never got inside.

They didn’t have enough time to see everyone that day, so they told us to come back the following morning—but I knew I wouldn’t be back the next day. I didn’t even have to think twice about it, because I had something more important to do—and looking back at my journals from that time period, I can understand why the decision was such an easy one to make.

The Hope of Relationships
Just weeks earlier, in an entry dated February 24, 2006, I wrote a note that said how I didn’t think I would ever marry, but that if I ever did it would have to be with someone like Stephanie Parker—someone who I care for and who cares about me, someone who lights up my soul and inspires me to be who I am meant to be.

And isn’t that the greatest hope of any high-value relationship? Mutual support to stand by and lean on each other in both high tide and low tide.

Stephanie and I had been dear friends for years, and though we were nothing more, just having her in my life—indeed, just knowing she was around—was empowering enough to make me a better person. And so I simply carried on, discovering, learning, and growing into who I might be if only I bet on myself.

So what gives? If I was truly betting on myself, why would I abandon the audition? Why would I give up on perhaps the most important opportunity of my career?

Real & Lasting Happiness
One of my favorite pieces of magic to perform is to fold a $1 bill four times, and then unfold it to reveal that it’s been transformed into a $100 bill. What I appreciate about this is it always succeeds in grabbing everyone's attention—and just when I have their full attention, I reveal its true meaning:

“Achieving dreams creates temporary happiness, yet never leads to real and lasting happiness—for all glory is fleeting. Eventually, everything moves on and everything changes.”

And with that, the $100 bill is transformed back into a $1 bill. This may have the appearance of tragedy, but in truth it offers hope:

“True and lasting happiness is not found in what we achieve, but rather in the moments in between, in the people we meet along the way, and how we make each other feel.”

I think of Stephanie when I say these words, and the profound care, support, and belief she had in me. At the time, I was 22 years old, but even then I was able to discern what was most important, and it wasn’t a magic show.

It wasn’t a career.

It wasn’t the prospect of fame and fortune.

No.

What really matters most are the people we choose to travel through life with.

That’s why I knew I couldn’t go back to the audition the next day, because I had something more important to take care of: I had promised Stephanie I would drive her to the airport.

Sure, she could have gotten anyone to drive her—but I wanted to do it. And of course I didn’t tell her about the audition; she would have insisted that I go—but I wanted to be there for her. She was more important. 

And how do you show others they are important? How do you show others you care for and value them? It’s really quite simple: You show up.

The Real Secret of Magic
Conan O’Brien once suggested that “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

And that’s the point of this story: to share a fortunate happy turn of events as a result of consistently showing up.

The following year, after sacrificing the audition in favor of something greater—and after years of showing up—I became engaged to be married with Stephanie.  

Stephanie! The one who makes my heart flutter and soul sing.

My best friend! I asked, and she said yes.

There is much more to this story, yet there is value in ending here, to sit and reflect on these ideas:

Know what you want from life, show up everyday, ask for it, and invite the right people to join you—to stand by and lean on each other in both high tide and low tide.

Magicians are often asked, “How’d you do that?” Many people assume it has something to do with subtle misdirection—a little smoke here or a perfectly placed mirror there—but the real secret of magic is really quite simple: It’s done together.

Reflection​
Who are the important people in your life? How are you showing up for them?
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    JONAS CAIN, M.Ed.

    Author

    Jonas Cain, M.Ed. is a storyteller, magician, musician, and facilitator of fascination, helping people experience abiding joy through fascination, curiosity, and wonder.
    ​
    ​
    Connect with Jonas to discover more.

    Picture

    Topics

    All
    Acceptance
    Action
    Adversity
    Advice
    Ally
    April Fools
    Atonement
    Authenticity
    Behavior
    Boundaries
    Breathing
    Care
    Certainty
    Change
    Change Management
    Character
    Clarity
    Commitment
    Communication
    Compassion
    Confidence
    Conflict
    Connecting
    Connection
    Courage
    Creativity
    Critics
    Curiosity
    Decision Making
    Doubt
    Dreams
    Education
    Empowerment
    Encouragement
    Engagement
    Enjoyment
    Excellence
    Expectation
    Family
    Fascination
    Fear
    Focus
    Friendship
    Goals
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Groundhog Day
    Growth
    Happiness
    Happy Birthday
    Hope
    Humor
    Influence
    Inspiration
    Joy
    Kindness
    Leadership
    Legacy
    Lessons
    Louis Armstrong
    Love
    Magic
    Mental Health
    Mentor
    Mindfulness
    Mindset
    Motivation
    Music
    Networking
    Online Learning
    Opportunity
    Passion
    Patience
    Peace
    Perception
    Perseverance
    Persistence
    Perspective
    Philosophy
    Pinball
    Positivity
    Pot Roast Principle
    Practice
    Preparation
    Presence
    Priorities
    Process
    Proverbs
    Psychology
    Purpose
    Rapport
    Reflection
    Relationships
    Resilience
    Resources
    Responsibility
    Risk
    Skills
    Social Justice
    Storytelling
    Stress Relief
    Talent
    Teamwork
    Transition
    Ukraine
    Unity
    Virtual Education
    Vision

    Picture

    Subscribe

    Subscribe on Apple
    Subscribe on Spotify
    Subscribe on Google
    Subscribe on Breaker
    Subscribe on Radio Public
    Subscribe on Overcast
    Subscribe on Pocket Casts
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    February 2017

    RSS Feed

Picture

​JONAS CAIN, M.Ed. | ​Facilitator of Fascination
​[email protected]

#POSITIVITY

WORKSHOPS | RESOURCES |  SHOP  | CONNECT

© 2025
  • Workshops
    • 3 Pillars of Positivity >
      • Mindset
      • Purpose
      • Relationships
    • Grow with the Flow
    • Calendar
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Books
    • Shop
  • Connect