Some call it magic, allure, seduction or charm, but I prefer to call it enchantment, and it runs through the veins of each moment.  From the smile of a stranger to the wind brushing your face, it’s as if the world is begging you to notice its charm.It’s what we’re all after – to have our breath taken away, to be taken in the updraft of passion and feel the possibility, or dare I say, magic, of each moment.

Yet, most people are too busy, caught up in the humdrum of life, to even see the wonder that is happening all around us.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that it’s up to you to create and see the magic in your own life.

In my years of working with women, I’ve seen them crave a sense of everyday allure and charm.  They desire to sit down at night with a beautiful meal to enjoy their family and friends, take a bubble bath with a glass of Champagne or read something other than a self-help book or business manual.  Sometimes, it’s having fresh flowers in their homes, having luxurious experiences, or simply breathing space to enjoy their lives.  As you’ll learn, enchantment comes in many forms.

For years, I lived like most women – on the “busy” train of running here and there, reacting to life instead of creating it. At the end of the day, I’d lie in my bed asking, “When will that day come when I can enjoy my life?”  The truth is that I was living a mediocre life, following the masses of people who lived lives of quiet desperation, all while ignoring the enchantment of life.

That day came when I decided to become the curator of my own life and began to look at the opportunities around me to create moments of absolute awe and ecstasy. I wanted each day to be filled with a little glamour and charm. I didn’t want my life to be a series of checked-off to do lists and spreadsheets. I’m sure my 90-year old self would yawn at the thought.

“Defy the crowd. The crowd isn’t always wise. It can also lead you down a path of silliness, sub-optimal choices, and downright destruction. Enchantment is as necessary for people to diverge from a crowd as it is to get people to join one.”
― Guy Kawasaki

If you desire to create more enchantment in your life, here are some ways that I do it (from how I think to what I wear):

• Become fascinated.   This is one of my secret paths to enchantment.  When working with private clients and in my Slim, Chic and Savvy program, I teach women the art of fascination to create the bodies and lives of their dreams.  Here’s how it works:  instead of judging, being frustrated or becoming overwhelmed about a certain situation (which, by the way, only keeps you stuck in what you don’t want), choose to be fascinated about what’s going on.  When you’re enchanted,  you can see more clearly what’s happening and discover solutions to issues that would otherwise keep you stuck.  You become the magician of your own life.
• A vase of flowers in your home. Monet declared, “I must have flowers, always, and always! Flowers are nature’s Chanel, and to bring them into your home adds a layer of beauty and allure.  Simply one look at a beautiful flower can shift your energy.
• The perfect colored lipstick. Adding a pop of color to your lips is like adding a lustrous color to your bedroom wall.  It creates a feeling of seduction and allure. This one is my go to and has people stopping me on the street to ask what I’m wearing.  The color is catfight – the perfect feminine pink that will leave magic on the cheek (or lips) of whomever you choose.
• A walk in the woods. Enchantment need not cost a thing.  It’s right outside your door, and walking through a forest of trees can make a girl feel like Alice in Wonderland.
• Japanese Quince scented candles burning.  When I smell this candle burning, I feel luxurious.  These candles are a must have for anyone who desires to add a seductive fragrance to their home.  If it’s an Oprah favorite, then you know it must be fabulous!  I keep these burning daily, and I cannot tell you how enchanting it is to walk in and smell this unique fragrance.
• Look at everything with wonder and awe. I began to practice this years ago, and it really does add a depth of magic to your life, from being curious about why your child is having a meltdown to staring at a glass of wine and wondering what had to had to get it from a vineyard to your table. Life is a wondrous affair!
• Dress up with a little flair.  When I walk down the streets of Paris, it feels like a movie.  The women and men take great pride in their self-presentation.  But, it goes much deeper than that.  There’s an individual sense of style.  The result?  It’s part of the magic of the city of lights!  And, you can I’ll be wearing one of these in the South of France this summer to create a little style magic!
• High tea at noon. You don’t have to be at the Ritz Paris to enjoy sitting down for a little tea party.  You can add that enchantment from the comfort of your own home.
• Build a fire, watch the stars and create a ritual. There’s something about summer nights, bright shiny stars and a hot fire that helps us reconnect to the magic of our lives. At least once a week, I build a fire and stare up at the stars and make a wish.  I write that wish down and release it into the fire.  It’s one of my secret potions to living an enchanted life.
• Mesmerize with Melodies.  I think one of the greatest tools for creating magic in your life is music.  What do you want to feel?  Energetic?  Put on some Pitbull.  Sexy?  That may call for a little Buddha Bar.  Like you’re sitting on a beach sipping a Mojito?  Perhaps some Jack Johnson will do the trick.  Some of my favorite Pandora stations for creating enchantment in my day are:  Exotica/Lounge, Boa Sorte, Blackmill, Gypsy Kings, Lana del Ray and Hotel Costes.
• Host a Dream Party.  Unfortunately, too many people get together and talk about their problems, but to live an enchanted life, it will require that you limit the focus on problems and talk about your desires and dreams instead.  One of the best ways to do this is to host a dream party where people are only allowed to discuss what they love and desire.  It’s fun, and you get to learn a lot about people when they open up and spill the beans on what they really want.

“The enchanted day is only enchanted if we ourselves believe that anything is possible.”
― Mark O’Brien

Yes, we all have our day to day lives, filled with work, housework, homework, carpool, PTO meetings, board meetings, deadlines, agendas, spilled milk, dog poop, sick kids, clients, bills, taxes and all the other real stuff.

However, enchantment is not as much about what you do; it’s how you go upon doing it.  It starts from within – from seeing the beauty and mystery of life – and all that spills into the physical world – from what you surround yourself with to how you communicate with people.

“Without a doubt the sense of beauty does not lie determined in the concreteness of an individual beautiful thing or person. Rather its purpose is much more the enchantment of the soul, for there is nothing physical that is not made with the intent of affecting the soul, and there is no soul that does not intend to dazzle everything physical with its sensations.”
― Alexander Lernet-Holenia, Mars in Aries

Every day offers you the opportunity to create enchantment in a seemingly ordinary day.The candle? Light it. The music? Turn it on. Dinner time? Set the table with love. Your wardrobe? Pick something that makes your feel fabulous. Standing at the mirror in the morning? Take a little extra time to look and feel your best. At the coffee shop? Offer a smile or buy a coffee for someone. Thinking of a friend? Send her a handwritten note. A sick child? Cook up some chicken soup and turn it into down time for the both of you. The juicy idea brewing in your mind? Stop and write it down. The trip? Plan and and dream about it. The sunset? Walk away from the computer or laundry and notice it.

“If you still believe in magic,
you’re subject to enchantment.”
― Toba Beta

I choose enchantment as a way of life. Am I living a fantasy? Perhaps, some might think so, but I’d rather think that I am just mixing a little sparkle with a sense of wonder to see what I can create.

How do you create enchantment in your day?  Tell us in the comments below.  I can’t wait to read them.

Enchanted and Amazed,

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