The True Power of a Wizard—In Storytelling and Life

I was lost.

Not in some grand, adventurous way—like a hero wandering through an enchanted forest. No, I was lost in the worst way possible: stuck in the same tired loop, living the same meaningless days, unable to see a way forward.

I was aimless. Dopamine-addicted. Chronically depressed.

Wasting my time.

Wasting my girlfriend’s time.

Wasting my life.

I was broke, both financially and mentally.

I had no control over anything.

I reacted to life instead of shaping it.

I tried everything:

• A better job
• A cleaner diet
• A new workout routine
• Cutting off toxic friends
• Self help books—more cheap dopamine

But none of it worked. Not for more than a few weeks at best.

Because my mind was the same.

Because I was the same.

Because I couldn’t see the invisible walls keeping me trapped in the same cycle.

And then… a wizard arrived.

Not to save me. Not to hand me the answers. But to hand me a torch in the dark, to let me see the walls of my own prison.

He appeared, whispering wisdom buried in books. He hid meaning in passing conversations, planting the seeds of ideas that when sprouted, struck me like a lightning bolt.

He shined a light on the dark path I had been blindly walking for years.

He spoke the exact words I needed to hear to change everything.

And the moment I saw the road I had been stuck on, I could finally step off of it.

Because when you see the truth, you can’t unsee it.

When you see the path before you, walking it is effortless.

This is the true power of a wizard.

The Wizard's Gift

Wizards don’t just cast spells.

They change the way you see the world—whether you’re ready or not.

They are tricksters, messengers, and guides—representatives of the unseen realm. They don’t show you the path. They shift your perception so you can see it for yourself.

Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. -Morpheus

Sometimes, they hand you a key—an idea, a story, a phrase—that unlocks a hidden door in your mind. Other times, they pull the floor out from under your feet, dropping you into the underworld.

Because the gift of a wizard isn’t comfort. It’s awakening.

"Why do my eyes hurt?" -Neo

"You've never used them before." -Morpheus

The gift of transformation comes with a price. Death must come before rebirth. But the best wizards don't just break reality—they hand you the tools to build a new one.

The Magician's Trick

A trickster breaks your reality and restructures it for you. He takes the rules of your game, shuffles them, and then offers you a new game to play. It might elevate you—or it might open a portal to hell.

Every hero who rises first has to fall. Every chosen one is first tested, broken. The question isn't whether the new game is better—it's whether you're willing to play.

Gandalf wasn’t just a wise old man with mysterious powers—he was an Odinic wanderer, descending from the same lineage as Merlin and Odin himself.

Odin, the original wizard, offered himself as sacrifice to gain wisdom. He tore out his own eye in exchange for a drink from the Well of Wisdom—trading his human sight for divine vision.

Odin also hanged himself from the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil in order to gain knowledge of the runes and other worlds.

What's more wizardy than that!?

Why go through the trouble? Because you can't see in the dark. And knowledge is light.

Wizards aren’t just nerds that might skidaddle skidoodle or launch fireballs at enemy castles. They're messengers of the gods (Hermes, Mercury, is an analog of Odin (Miercoles in Spanish is Wednesday or Odin's Day.))

Wizards download information from unseen realms, then present it in a way that forces you to grow—whether you understand their words or not.

The Fool, The Hanged Man, & The Magician

Mythology is full of the Wizard archetype. There's no end to it but I'll mention a few fun ones.

Merlin is known in pop culture for his magic, but he's remembered throughout the ages because of his vision. Merlin plays the long game—he shapes Britain through prophecy, manipulation, and hidden wisdom. He guides Arthur by making him think differently about leadership, morality, and destiny.

Odin's power lies in his endless pursuit of wisdom. He speaks in riddles and visions, making mortals and gods alike rethink their choices.

Gandalf is a guide, mentor, a weaver of stories. He defeated Sauron by empowering others (Aragorn, Frodo, Theoden) to believe in their own choices. His words make kings, warriors, and hobbits rise beyond their limitations.

Elminster Aumar rarely solves problems with force. He guides the world through whispers and riddles. He plays the mentor by letting people stumble into wisdom rather than spoon-feeding them knowledge or exposition. He'll hand you a puzzle instead of an answer, forcing you to grow.

The Fool (Elderlings series by Robin Hobb) challenged fate itself by urging Fitz to make the world better, even if destiny decided otherwise. He inspires defiance against a set future.

The Wizard of Oz uses the power of perception to rule the Emerald City. Even after he's exposed, he uses the power of perception to give the protagonists the tools to believe in themselves.

The true power of wizards isn’t what they do. It’s what they make you see.

Every great wizard from Merlin to The Fool to the Wizard of Oz teaches the same thing: Reality isn't fixed. Perception is the spell that shapes it.

The Answer You Need, Not The One You Want

You are unaware of the doors that exist until someone hands you the key.

You are blind to the opportunities that surround you until your perspective is flipped.

You think you're waiting for wisdom. But wisdom has been waiting for you.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” -Tao Te Ching

“A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” -Gandalf

When you peek behind God's curtain, you glimpse the unseen world—a world of infinite potential, good and bad.

When you see differently, you become different. You change. Forever.

And that is the wizard’s gift.

The Cost of Seeing

The truth doesn’t just change you—it demands a price. Once you see it, you can never return to who you were.

"Beware of unearned wisdom." -Carl Jung

This is why wizards are feared as much as they are revered. Why Odin had to sacrifice himself to himself to gain wisdom. Why Merlin’s greatest power wasn’t his spells—it was what he understood.

Knowledge isn’t just light—it’s fire. And once it touches you, it burns away your old self.

You can ignore it. You can pretend you never heard the wizard’s words. But deep down, you already know:

The path you’ve been walking is no longer the only path.

And now, you have a choice.

Some people will pretend they never heard the wizard's words. Others will step forward, legs shake, but eyes wide open.

This is the moment when every good story turns—when the hero can never go back to the way things were It’s the moment you step into the unknown, not because you want to, but because you have to.

That's what happened to Frodo. At first, it was just a journey—a road walked with hesitant feet. But somewhere along the way, the road changed him. The comforts of home, the familiar warmth of the Shire—still there, still waiting, yet no longer fitting as they once did.

He had stepped too far, seen too much. Even if he returned, he would never return as the same Frodo who left.

Once you see, you can never unsee. You can either step forward or try to live the rest of your life pretending you don't know the truth.

That’s what happened to me when I finally saw the game I was trapped in. And that’s what will happen to you.

So the question is: what do you do with this knowledge?

How do you think like a wizard? How do get a taste of this power to shape your own story?

Let me show you.

How to Think Like a Wizard

Most people live under the spell of their own assumptions and beliefs.

They believe obstacles are permanent. They think their failures define them. They wait for permission to change.

Wizards know better.

A wizard doesn’t accept circumstances. A wizard bends reality by changing perception.

You can do the same. Here’s how to train your mind like a wizard and start seeing what others miss:

1. Dispel the Illusion

Every problem is a puzzle, and every puzzle has an unseen solution.

Most people see a wall and turn back. Wizards ask: What if this isn’t a wall? What if it’s a door?

Whenever you feel stuck, ask:

• What if the opposite were true?
• What am I assuming that might be wrong?
• What if this is happening for me instead of to me?

The right question is more powerful than the right answer.

2. Seek Hidden Doors

Every “dead end” has an invisible exit. If you can’t see it, you’re relying on your two eyes instead of your mind's sight.

Instead of: “Why isn’t this working?” Ask: “What am I not seeing?”

Wizards don’t force solutions—they find secret paths. If one way doesn’t work, they try another. And another. A wizard sees himself at the end of the journey and allows reality to shape around him until he arrives.

3. Turn Obstacles into Advantages

Magic is effortless when wielded by a master.

Most people struggle against problems. Wizards channel them.

Instead of resisting difficulty, ask:

• How can I allow this to be easier?
• What’s the most effective way forward, no matter how uncomfortable?
• If I had to solve this with minimal effort, what would I do?

A wizard does not force the river to change course—he learns to sail upon it.

Like Bruce Lee said, "Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless—like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; you put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; you put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

4. Make the Mundane Magical

The most powerful spells are the ones you cast every day.

Your morning coffee? The Ritual of Clarity—to sharpen the mind and awaken the senses before embarking on the day's quest.

Your workout? The Ritual of Fortification—a sacrifice to the gods, an offering of effort to reinforce the vessel that carries the soul.

Your deep work session? The Ritual of Intent—Inscribing sigils upon reality, incrementally bending fate toward your will.

It sounds corny but it’s powerful.

Your daily rituals already have meaning to you. The question is: Does that meaning serve you, or do you serve it?

5. Rewrite the Narrative

Your life is already controlled by narratives—they just aren’t ones you wrote.

A wizard doesn't say, "This is hard, but I will try my hardest. I guess I'll give it a shot. We'll see how it goes. Don't get your hopes up."

A wizard doesn’t say, “My circumstances have gotten the best of me. I have failed.”

He says, “What I desire is already mine. There are no obstacles between me and my objective. There is no separation between me and my creation. It is done.”

Every setback is a plot twist. Every obstacle is character development. Every day, you’re writing your own legend.

So take the pen.

6. Act "As If"

A wizard doesn’t wait for permission. He steps into the identity he seeks before he feels ready.

He doesn't wait for mastery.

He doesn't seek validation.

He becomes through doing.

• Want to be a writer? Write.
• Want to be a leader? Lead.
• Want to be a creator? Create.

There's magic in assumption. The world doesn't grant power to the "worthy"—it responds to belief.

Why do some people with less talent, less skill, less knowledge succeed?

Because they step forward. The world follows those who move with certainty.

Doctor Strange didn't begin as the Sorcerer Supreme—but he spoke with the certainty of a master. He alone decides that he is worthy to bear the Eye of Agamotto. He forces the universe to see him as he sees himself.

Act as if you already are. Let the world catch up to you.

7. Zoom Out

Most problems only feel massive because your perspective is small. You're too close to the problem. You can't see beyond what's right in front of you.

A wizard sees beyond the moment. He puts himself above the issue. Instead of panicking over today, ask:

• Will this matter in a year?
• Will I see remember this in 10 years?
• If this were happening to my friend, what advice would I give them?

Wisdom is just distance from emotion. Zoom out and the problem shrinks.

8. Play the Trickster

You are not your beliefs—you are the one who holds them. You give your beliefs power, not the other way around.

To think like a wizard, force yourself to argue against your own certainty.

• What if my assumption is wrong?
• What if my "limitation" is actually an advantage?
• What would someone who disagrees with me say?

The moment you question your own thoughts, you stop being a prisoner to them.

9. Ask the Right Question

Next time you feel stuck, don’t ask: “What should I do?”

Ask: “How can I see this differently?”

That’s the difference between a pawn and a wizard. One plays the game. The other changes it.

Final Thoughts

A wizard doesn’t follow the rules—he bends them. He controls the inputs to shape his outcome—reality itself. He sees hidden doors, questions reality, and reshapes the world through perspective.

This is the true power of a wizard. This is magic. Start thinking like a wizard.

Remember—the door was already there, you just couldn't see it. Until now.

-Rex