“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But, above all, try something.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt
Welcome to January’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
How to get out of a rut and get back to being creative!
At least once a week I receive an e-mail from someone following my social media sites who asks how I stay so busy and seem to be always doing something exciting.
And the answer usually surprises them.
For me the key isn’t in how someone deals with success but how someone deals with failure. How we overcome disappointment, rejection and loss.
I face these pitfalls regularly. And if I am going to be completely honest with you, there are some days that I want to give up. We all experience that.
So how do I handle and overcome these moments of doubt and get back on track towards reaching my goals?
Step Away: I step away from the problem and allow my mind to re set. Sometimes this involves a walk around the room, the house or the block. Sometimes it is a 30-minute nap or even involves going to a matinee movie at the theater down the street. But I set a time limit on myself of 3 hours or less that I will take to clear my thoughts – afterwards I must get back on the horse. When I return from my allotted time I sit back down and focus on my task again for at least as long as I stepped away. If I need to, I repeat this process. Why do I force myself to start again so quickly? Because the longer I am away from a problem, thebigger and scarier it becomes – so just like the horse analogy, I must get back at it within 3 hours and try again.
Release Anger: It is easy to become angry at a problem and even easier to become angry with myself. I look at the situation that is causing me to feel intense emotion and ask “Is this a problem that I can fix or a problem that I can’t fix?” If it is a problem that I can’t fix, then I need to allow myself to let it go, brush it off and move on because it is unfixable. If, instead, it is a problem that I can fix: I need to set about the steps that can be taken to fix it. Fixable = Actionable, Unfixable = release and move on.
Do Nothing: Take 30 minutes each day to do absolutely nothing. That’s right, I take time every day to do nothing. During this time I don’t eat or sleep. I don’t read, listen to music or watch tv. I don’t talk on the cell phone or read emails or play a game. I spend time in my own presence and exist with myself. There is nothing that I do in my life that adds to my ability to produce more than taking time to do nothing. Try it.
Be Inspired: Other artists inspire me. When my brain feels empty, I go out and allow the pure pleasure of being inspired by other artists. Movies, Street performers, painters, open mic nights, musicals and biographies of successful people who I admire. Sometimes bad artists and bad shows inspire me more then good ones,because instead of being caught up in the emotion of the piece, I critique and make a list of everything that I could do to make it better – so I set about it in myself.
Seek Mentors: Mentors help us refocus our goals. There are people out there who have beenthere and done that. If we don’t know them already, we probably know someone who does. Remember that statistically, we are always just 6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon.
Burn the Boats: It is said that some of the ancient Greek generals would have the men burn their boats when they landed to fight the Persian wars. Imagine what these men must have felt as they watched the boats burn and knew that their only way home was through victory. Sometimes the only way to victory is to cut off any other route but success.
Never Give Up: The most successful people that I know are the ones who have mastered persistence. We don’t have to be the most talented, the ones with the most intelligence, the most skilled or the bestsupported. All of these things help. But the men and women who I have seen succeed are the ones who have persisted and continue to fight even when things became difficult. Persistence prevails.
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” –Thomas A. Edison
“Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give you a stock clerk.” -J.C. Penny
PAWN Stars
If you have been watching the History Chanel this month you may have caught a glimpse of me on Pawn Stars. This month I appear in at least 2 commercials for the series and a few episodes including “Learning the Ropes” & “Crosby, Stills & Cash” I was asked to come in and “apply” to be the night manager of the Pawn shop. I’m only on for a shot bit – blink and you’ll miss it at the start and end. It was fun to film with the #1 rated show on cable television. Enjoy!
P.S. The video from my recent TEDx lecture titled “Ancient Secrets for Future Leaders” should be released before the Feb newsletter. Add my facebook page to see it first! Click Here
Wherever I travel, I try to find interesting spots to see unusual things. My main interests are anthropological, historical, artistic, religious and magical. However, I am also often taken by the worlds largest, oldest or best. In the last month I’ve held some handwritten documents by Abraham Lincoln and a bit of his hair cut from his head by Mary Todd Lincoln , visited the grave of L. Frank Baum’s niece Dorothy Gagle (who was the basis of Dorthy Gale in his Oz series), took part in a a pictograph cave archeological site with habitation going back 9,000 years and visited the only known spot where Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition carved his name along the treacherous route to the pacific.
What is the fantastic and once in once in a lifetime site or thing that I need to see when in your area? Every place has one. Please let me know!
“I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.” -Shirley Temple
“I still believe in magic.” -Paul Draper
Welcome to December’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Happy Holiday’s, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year, Happy Yule tide greetings and I hope that you have a season of Joy celebrating with your loved ones this time of year.
Here is a fun list of how to say “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” in dozens of languages: click here
I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah currently the “whoopee cushion” of America (due to how many jokes are made at it’s expense.)
Half of my family are LDS/Mormon and the other half are Jewish. Due to this wonderful combination I often had the blessing of 9 days of presents! However, this year the dates overlap so I will be back to just 8 crazy nights.
Utah was a lovely place to grow up, especially because of the beautiful mountains, natural wonders and the majestic four seasons. We would have a Christmas tree in the living room and a menorah in the window. How beautiful it is to live in a country and time of so much religious freedom. I was often asked by teachers in my schools to represent Judaism and teach the history of the holiday to my fellow classmates in a time before History Channel programs on demand 24/7.
For further thoughts on religious acceptance, education and freedom, here is a fantastic list of some other fun Holidays and calibrations that our friends families and neighbors may celebrate include: click here
Life isn’t about the money we make, the things we accumulate or even the awards displayed on our shelf. Life is about the people who come into our sphere and teach us how to reflect on time, self, meaning and kindness towards others.
Have a wonderful season of giving and reflection. I hope to see you and spend time with you soon,
“To laugh often and much. To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children. To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others. To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
Based on a poem by Bessie Anderson Stanley, but changed through time and often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson & Robert Louis Stevenson
TEDxCalicoCanyon Theme: The Human Revolution Las Vegas, NV January 7th, 2012
This TEDx Event will focus on and deliver on the invisible connection that brings people together. By bringing Story, Theater, Art, Magic, and Psychology together in one place we have the opportunity to go deeper into what creates the connection in human relationships. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. All those functions are key to shaping our future. The Human Connection strives to breathe another part of life into TED by taking all the elements and bringing them closer to the human heart, where REAL change happens. read more
I met the Krampus at the Santa Rampage on Fremont Street this week
I told him that I have been a good boy this year… I hope that he believed me! (He is the beast that follows St. Nicholas around and beats and eats bad children.) Better stay away from Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Friuli and Hungary for the rest of the season!
“I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down…” – Abraham Lincoln
Welcome to October’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Vlogs, podcasts, TED + fantasy shoes & hair!
Life isn’t about the money we make, the things we accumulate or even the awards displayed on our shelf. Life is about the people who come into our sphere and teach us how to reflect on time, self, meaning and kindness towards others.
Thank you for being my friend.
It’s been a very good month so far. Beyond headlining at Magic in the Rockies in Colorado and at the Suncoast Casino in Las Vegas – I have been booked for 3 future conventions, in talks with 2 Vegas casinos and have made a lot of fun media appearances.
Below is a sampling of some of my favorites from the last 30 days.
Interviewed for TEDx (Start about 5 minutes in) – listen here
Appeared on national TV as a challenge for Hairbattle Spectacular – watch here
Co-Hosted an hour of McBrideMagic.tv for magicians – watch here
A wonderful new magic venue in central California – click here
Interviewed on Conversations LIVE out of Atlanta – listen here
My 11 steps to success that I try to follow every day.
Goal setting
Hard work
Dedication
Education
Focus
Courage
Sacrifice
Reassessment
Team building
Relationships
Luck
Please contact me if you have a hospital or business in your area that would like an anthropologist / Vegas Mentalist to come and chat about communication, motivation or change management!
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell
I must come forward and honestly admit that I have never related to the overwhelming love that some have for shoes. As a child, it was strange to me that my mother had a small closet devoted to them. As an adult, most of the women that I have dated have been curators of personal shoe galleries. I have even known a few men who have been bit by the shoe-collecting bug. However, for the first time, I have found a ladies shoe designer whose creations I find artistic and fun. And I fully approve of any woman willing to wear these out in public. Enjoy!
“I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any other ability under the sun. -John D. Rockefeller
Welcome to September’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Communication, Motivation, Change!
There is a lot of change taking place in medicine in America today: Technological, scientific, cultural and political.
Some of the top 100 hospitals have been asking me to help them with the change stress that their employees are feeling.
The intro they use for me is often something along the lines of “Who better then a cultural anthropologist to talk about corporate culture and who better then a Las Vegas mentalist to be entertaining while doing it!”
Below is an excerpt from one of my talks on why we are averse to learning new tools and new ways of doing things. Enjoy.
Cookie Jar The Cookie Jar story is an example of how a child positively deals with a problem and deals with change, and then how that innate strategy suddenly disappears.
Imagine as a child there is a cookie jar on top of the refrigerator. The child walks in, sees the cookie jar and desires the cookies in the jar. First, the child jumps up and down to try and reach the cookie jar.
No, that didn’t work.
So now the child climbs up on the counter to try and reach the cookie jar.
No, can’t reach it.
Okay, next the child opens the doors of the refrigerator and tries to climb up through the refrigerator and … and …
No, that didn’t work.
Okay, (says the child to themselves) I’m going to get a broom and then I am going to knock down the cookie jar with the broo-
No, no, I can’t get to it with the broom without breaking it.
Frustrated, the child has to re think the strategy. Maybe a team is needed! Big Brother will help! I’m going to go get my brother and… oh wait, he’s not here.
Idea! I’ll go get the neighbor kid and stand on his shoulders … Success! Captured the cookies. Of course, (thinks the child) I have to share the cookies, because he helped me, but at least I have cookies. Good enough.
Here’s the problem: Now that the child has found a solution that worked, when they are faced with this situation again, most will simply walk into the kitchen and say, “cookie jar on top of the fridge? I know the answer; I’m going to go get the neighbor kid!”
But what do they do if the neighbor kid isn’t home? “Oh, well, I guess I won’t get any cookies.” And they instantly give up. Many decide at that point to not look for any more solutions! It’s just done. They don’t try, explore or play with alternative solutions anymore. It’s almost as if they don’t see options.
So, step one involves looking at the world through fresh eyes, every time. Seeing situations, people and strategies with a new and childlike perspective.
(Now here is the fun exercise – play along if you like)
Cover up your watch. Don’t look at it. Now think, what color is the face? Does it have numbers? Does it have all of them? What is the shape of the second hand?
Now look at it, did you get it 100% right. Very few do. Yet those of us with watches look at our watch face dozens of times every day and never really see it.
You’ll see it from now on. Every time.
Please let me know if you have a hospital or business in your area that would like an anthropologist / Vegas Mentalist to come and chat about communication, motivation or change management! Click Here
“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windowstoday.” -Dale Carnegie
The Checker Shadow Illusion is an oldy, and remains a goody. The illusion shows how bad we are at gauging luminance, our eyes and brains are easily tricked by relative brightness and we are especially fooled by 3-D scenes.
I have only ever seen Professor Ted Adelson’ illusion in its original form – a drawing. But this amazing video put together by artist Brusspup illustrates the mind-bending trick better than any piece of paper. Check it out: Checker Shadow Illusion
Paul to appear this summer on National T.V. show on Oxygen and I hear that they are running re runs of my episodes of House Hunters on HGTV.
But until then, a fun new magical documentary staring some of my friends:
“Guaranteed to leave viewers levitating.” -Variety
“Gem of a movie… Thumbs up!” -Roger Ebert
“A coming of age journey set in the quirky subculture of magic, Make Believe follows six of the world’s best young magicians as they pursue the title of Teen World Champion and lead us on their personal journeys of transformation through magic.”
“Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.” -P. T. Barnum
Welcome to July’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Fantasy Books, Shuttles and an Apple.
Fantasy Books: I began reading Harry Potter in 1998 – the year that I started University. I was 19. Now at 32 with the final movie viewed in IMAX 3-D and having already visited the Wizarding World in Florida, the journey has ended.
So, rather then morn, I asked 5,000 of my friends and contacts “What’s next?” And here for your reading pleasure are some of their best suggestions for fans (like me) of magic, mystery and fantasy …
Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, The Necroscope series, The Thief, Dark Materials trilogy, the Strain trilogy, The Dresden Files, Discworld, sword of truth series and books by authors Tad Williams , Patrick Rothfuss, Nelson Demille, and Neal Stephenson.
Please reply to this newsletter and share some of YOUR favorite books for this summers reading list!
Shuttle: As a child, one of my fondest memories was being in charge of Mission Control in the simulations at the NASA Space Station while attending Space Camp. I always dreamed of going into space or working with the brave and brilliant men and women who did. I am sad to see the end of the NASA Shuttle program but have enjoyed watching it and the international space station fly overhead. Enjoy the link below and watch the skies.
An Apple: Though I didn’t work with NASA engineers this month, I did get pretty close! In July I was honored to be asked to lead workshops and 1 on 1 trainings at:1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, California: The corporate headquarters of Apple Inc.
Working with the minds of high level Engineers and software designers was a whole new challenge for me. They think and experience the world in a very unique way that separates them from the rest of us.
As the joke was told to me: Optimists say that the glass is half full, pessimists say that it is half empty. Engineers, however, say that the vessel is twice as big as necessary to retain the contents.
In one segment of my presentation I teach the audience how to develop a super memory. In this piece I ask individuals to throw out words for me to remember. The average audience offers words like: Harmonica, salisbury steak and Paris. However, after my first show for Apple employees and their families, my new words for the month include: “anatiferous” and “zygodactyl” . Yes, I had to look them up!
“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” – Neil Armstrong
Wonderful free app on iPhone called GoAtlantis, which lets us follow the final American NASA shuttle and the international space station. It will also let us set up an alarm to remind us when to go outside and look in the sky (and where to look) to see the light reflect off of these marvels of science and engineering. 🙂 Get app
If you don’t have an I phone, you can track the mission here
Thank you to Andrew Norstrum in Montana for sharing this link with me.
Paul to appear this summer on National T.V. show on Oxygen and I hear that they are running re runs of my episodes of House Hunters on HGTV.
But until then:
LEVEL UP: A short film that my team made for this years 48 Hour Film Fest! Everything was written, cast, shot, edited and turned in, in under 48 hours! Great job Kati Paul, Taylor Glenn, Justin Carter, Jaron Briggs, Michelle Egli Zumbrunnen, Shawn Zumbrunnen, Bob Frendt, Adam Hamblin and Seretta Gail Hart. Watch now
Requirements: Genre: Fantasy Character: Miles Madigan, a magician Prop: Toilet Paper Line of Dialog: “What were you thinking”
