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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeart Radio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that there is no such thing as magic.
What looks like magic is generally skilled labor that is kept invisible.
So if you want magic, it's up to you to make it happen.
But the good news is that you probably can make it happen.
And on those occasions when we see magic sometimes it is even more magical when we acknowledge this.
Today's tip comes from an unexpected source.
Long-time listeners may recall that in 2023, I wrote a sonnet every week.
That is a 14-line poem in iambic pentameter with a certain rhyming scheme.
Late in the year I wrote one of those sonnets about the seeming magic of Christmas, with beautifully decorated trees and wrapped packages amid the bleakness of winter.
Here are a few lines from that poem.
I sit in silence, gazing at my tree, all trimmed with baubles, softly glowing lights.
A beacon in the window, greeting me, acknowledging the lateness of these nights.
When I was wrapping presents, tying bows.
All magic is just labor, hidden well.
The poem goes on from there, but I heard from a lot of readers about that last line.
All magic is just labor, hidden well.
My Christmas tree was beautiful magical-seeming, with the ornaments and lights and presents underneath.
But it wasn't actually magic.
I made it happen.
I decided I wanted a particularly showy tree, and I made sure we got one.
I spent hours figuring out what my kids wanted and ordering and shopping for gifts.
And I spent lots of time wrapping the gifts in bright, shiny paper with extra bows and ribbons.
All of this was not magic.
At times it felt like a slog.
But with the effort and late nights behind me as I sat looking at my tree one December morning, it felt like magic.
I think it's empowering to realize that apparent magic results from labor.
Because that means we aren't dependent on something outside of ourselves to make magic happen.
We can do it ourselves.
We may need to invest a lot of effort, but when we do, delight can ensue.
It feels great to make magic for other people, whether that's with Christmas decorations and gifts, a transporting dinner party or a Halloween costume that makes a child's dream a reality.
Now, this is not to say that we need to do more invisible labor.
I bet a lot of people listening to this podcast are already doing a lot of thankless, invisible labor.
But we do have the power to use our creativity, time and effort to delight those we love by making magic for them, and we can make magic for ourselves too.
If you want a show-stopping vacation, you can dream up how to make it happen, and execute on it.
If you want a gorgeous Thanksgiving spread like you see in magazines, you can figure out how to gussy up your dining room, create an autumnal tablescape and make all those elaborate dishes that look so scrumptious.
If you are wishing to be celebrated for a particular accomplishment Well, book the venue, invite the people and create the party of your dreams.
As a corollary, when you experience something magical, you can repeat that same phrase.
All magic is just labor, hidden well.
That magician has practiced to make his tricks look effortless.
That sequence of pyrotechnics at a concert was rehearsed until they simply couldn't fail.
That teacher who can get a rambunctious little kid interested in a book is not actually possessed of magical powers.
She is just really, really good at her job.
So let's acknowledge that.
Humans can do utterly amazing things when they think it through and work really hard.
I find hard labor more impressive than magic, actually.
Keeping this phrase in mind empowers us to keep attempting ambitious wonders.
Have you made any magic lately?
I'd love to hear about it.
You can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at LauraVanderkam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
I'm Bowen Yang.
And I'm Matt Rogers.
During this season of the Two Guys, Five Rings podcast, in the lead up to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, we've been joined by some of our friends.
Hi Bowen, hi Matt.
Hey Elmo.
Hey Matt, hey Bowen.
Hi Cookie.
Hi.
Now the Winter Olympic Games are underway and we are in Italy to give you experiences from our hearts to your ears.
Listen to Two Guys Five Rings on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze.
Her husband Mike was on his laptop.
What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever.
I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.
And immediately, the mask came off.
You're supposed to be safe.
That's your home.
That's your husband.
Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an iHeart Podcast.
Guaranteed human.
