Magic has never been easy to define.

It's simple to experience, but it's far from a math equation. Adding the ingredients that make a biscuit together really shouldn't make a biscuit. Yet, they do!

"It's science."

Um. Maybe. But is it, though?

Because not all biscuits are created equal either. I don't think we'd say that the person who makes a more anatomically sound biscuit than another is a better food scientist.

I think instead we'd say something far less precise. Like, "they have a way with food" or "nobody makes biscuits like her" or "he's got the touch."

Consider a trip to Disneyland or Disney World.

Their entire brand is magic. But these are theme parks. There are plenty of those.

"It's their IP."

Ehh, certainly their IP helps! But other theme parks have great IP as well. And you can have an incredible time at them! But they don't offer magic.

The examples are endless. Close to home, there is something about the church we attend. Most people who go there agree. There's just something different about our church. We are a melting pot of folks who've been at countless other churches and never quite found what we have.

"It's Jesus."

Yes, certainly, our church is Christ-centered! But I've been in many Christ-centered churches, and something here is different.

While I hesitate to call it magic for theological reasons, let's go with it for the sake of argument. It's magic!

In all these cases and the hundreds more we could name, the key insight is that "magical things" are more than the sum of their parts.

You could add the same ingredients together in a thousand different variations and never get the same exact magic. Maybe no magic at all.

I'm not sure whether there's a point to this essay other than to say we should never take for granted the privilege to discover and take part in magic.

For all our rational and practical desires, when you find magic, it's difficult to recreate or improve upon.

Can magic be engineered?

I think in some cases it can be -- or at least, something that looks a lot like magic can be.

Let's return to the Disney example. It's obvious to the nerdier Disney fans that their magic does come with an ingredient list. Engaging IP and wonderful customer service top the list as two things they are known for.

But biscuits come with an ingredient list, too!

It's not that there aren't ingredients to magic. It's that the ingredients, when mixed, create something new entirely that I'm not convinced can be engineered.

Some people get paid to recognize magic. Take Rick Rubin, the legendary music producer. He has a 60 Minutes interview going viral right now. Here's a transcript of one such viral segment:

Anderson (01:52):

He’s helped launch careers, LL Cool J and Public Enemy among them. And he’s often the go-to guy for artists at the top of their game, like Adele. But exactly what he does, and how, is difficult to describe.

(02:13)
Do you play instruments?

Rick Rubin (02:15):

Barely.

Anderson (02:15):

Do you know how to work a soundboard?

Rick Rubin (02:18):

No. I have no technical ability. And I know nothing about music.

Anderson (02:24):

You must know something.

Rick Rubin (02:24):

Well, I know what I like and what I don’t like. And I’m decisive about what I like and what I don’t like.

Anderson (02:31):

So what are you being paid for?

Rick Rubin (02:33):

The confidence that I have in my taste and my ability to express what I feel has proven helpful for artists.

Rick Rubin is simply in the Magic Recognition business.

And he's been right enough times to get paid handsomely for it.

That's really the idea I want to leave you with...

You'll go nuts trying to engineer magic. But magic happens on its own.

Every day, you'll have new opportunities for magic to be created around you. In your work, in your home, etc.

The tricky thing about magic is that you can miss it.

Ever had a joke fly over your head? When that happens, and the person who made the joke has to explain it, they say, "Nevermind, it's gone now. It's not funny anymore."

And they're right! But why?

Because the magical moment had a lifespan of about five seconds. And POOF -- it was gone.

Back to Disney. Mickey Mouse... was magic. Walt had created MANY more characters before Mickey, whom we appreciate now! But chances are good we'd never have known of them.

And it may only be thanks to Disney's wife, Lillian, that the magic happened. You see, Walt wanted to name him Mortimer. Lillian thought that name sounded too serious, and suggested Mickey instead.

Walt himself said, "It all started with a mouse."

Now is it "scientifically possible" that nothing much at all would be different now had his name been Mortimer? Yes. But it's equally plausible (especially given the financial realities of the early Disney days) that Walt would've ultimately faded into irrelevance and the magical moment would have been missed.

Attune your senses to magic. Don't try to force creating it.

Work hard, be proud of what you accomplish and who you're becoming, and look for magic along the way.

I'm sure there are no studies about this, but I'd bet that at the end of your life, you won't regret having discovered and experienced more magic than less.