We Have A Responsibility To Make Magic

Most of life is incredibly… normal.

We wake up to the same alarm, brush the same teeth, run the same routines. Most days are a slow treadmill of mild obligations. Grocery lists, email threads, repetitive small talk with the same three people you always see in meetings. It’s not bad, just a lot of the same.

That’s why the rare moment that isn’t the same — that catches you off guard in a good way — tends to stick.

Will Guidara tells a story about the time he was serving a table at Eleven Madison Park, one of the most celebrated fine-dining restaurants in the world. Four foodies on vacation had just finished raving about their trip to New York — all the iconic meals, all the culinary bucket list checkboxes. But one of them mentioned, almost offhandedly, that the only thing they didn’t get to try was a proper New York City hot dog.

So, Will sprinted out the front door, bought one from the nearest street cart, brought it back to the kitchen, and convinced a Michelin-starred chef to plate it right before the honey lavender-glazed duck. Four pieces. A swirl of mustard. A quenelle of relish. The table freaked out.

That $2 hot dog became the highlight of their trip. Not Momofuku. Not the wine pairings.

A hot dog.

It wasn’t about the food. It was about the feeling.

We underestimate how rare those moments are — and how long they linger.

Most people spend most of their days swimming in sameness. Which is why small gestures matter more than they should.

From what I can tell most people, especially if they have a tendency to follow current events, spend their days in an apathetic if not downright hostile frame of mind.

These small magical moments act as a soft reset. A moment of awe and joy. In a world that is full of negative emotional entropy, I believe we have an obligation to fight back.

These moments became so important to Will that, at one point, he employed nearly half a dozen ‘Dreamweavers’ to create these magical moments for guests during their 3 hour meal at Eleven Madison Park.

You don’t need to be good with words, have money, run a restaurant or create grandiose moments.

Here’s a few ideas for small magic moments:

• In a group chat, secretly coordinate for everyone to text a single friend the exact same compliment at the exact same time.

• Buy a stranger’s coffee, but have the barista deliver it with a handwritten haiku about them based on their outfit.

• Leave a new copy of your favourite book on the bus or subway with a sticky note: “This book finds the reader it’s meant to.”

• Slip a $20 bill and a kind note into a stranger’s grocery cart while they’re not looking.

• Organize 10 friends to “bump into” someone in public one after another, each dropping a compliment before disappearing.

• Reverse Delivery! Leave a cooler with drinks, a baked good or a bag of chips for the Amazon or Uber Eats delivery driver.

• Show up at a friend’s house unannounced and cook a meal in their kitchen.

If you’re reading this newsletter I know you’re conscientious and thoughtful.

Make magic.

Words I Wish I Wrote

Links & Learnings

• 20 Rules For A Better Life - Mark Manson

• Why I’m Excited About AI Tutors.

• We’re in a sex recession.

Psst… DSTLLD has a podcast now, too. I know — like the world needs another podcast, right? But here’s the thing: if you can tolerate my written rambles, you’ll probably find my in-person yammering… well, moderately tolerable. It’s basically me and a guest chatting about the same offbeat stuff you read here, except now you get to hear me stumble over big words in real time. I’m not saying it’s the greatest thing in the universe (trust me, I’ve listened to it), but if you like DSTLLD, there’s a good chance you won’t hate it. Win-win! Subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast platform:

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