Counting Magic Beans

they add up fast

My magic beans in my own shorthand. Last year’s list. This year’s list is just as long.

I started a list in my Bujo last year called “Magic Beans”. This is in contrast to a “Gratitude” list, the popular and familiar technique of recording things that happen that make you grateful. Magic Beans are stand-alone occurrences that can’t be discovered by looking for them; you can only notice them when they happen. I began noticing and started a list.

I added a bean about a friend’s cancer remission last week and noticed I already had quite a few this year. That compelled me to find last year’s Magic Bean list, and I was quite surprised at how many beans were there. I took a pic of it for you above. Some entries were complex stories (Truman and Yowza). Some were new discoveries (homemade graham crackers. Did you know graham crackers were made from whole wheat flour? And delicious!) It was entirely predictable that some occurrences would be a MB: selling a painting! Others, not so much: a lizard stretched between two orchid stems taking a sunbath. (That was amazing). Or a phone call out of the blue with terrific news. When I came across this year-old list, I was surprised at how many I had seen and documented. The funny thing is I had forgotten about ALL of them until my review.

They are the little things in life that are happening ALL THE TIME. Magic Beans are frequently overlooked, unseen, or ignored. By opening your eyes and heart…