I think we’ve all been there–when something we are saying...

I think we’ve all been there–when something we are saying or doing is challenged. The urge to “win” simply by shouting the other down, by what we mistake for our “force of personality,” by battering the other into submission can be hard to resist. Next time you’re tempted to do that, I hope you’ll consider Teddy’s words here, and reconsider. 

Better to truly BE strong in your position, to have thought things through, and be open to the ideas others throw at you. Any really alive, secure and truly thoughtful person will acknowledge that sometimes we have to change our minds. Only those with no real true center need fear creative dialogue.

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Have you been wondering what all the fuss about meditation is...

Have you been wondering what all the fuss about meditation is about? Here’s my take: It’s about taking a few minutes away from all of the chatter we live in. When was the last time (awake) when you had no radio, podcast, video, screen or other input coming at you? The truth is, in today’s world, it’s quite possible that you can’t even remember such a time.

Meditation is a way of quieting the chatter. It allows your very powerful sub-conscious mind to come forward. It allows you to “re-set” yourself, and actually get to think and feel for yourself again. Here’s a very basic introduction that you can try in just a couple of minutes.

I hope it provides you with the kind of motivation you want for this magnificent Monday… and for days and weeks to come!

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On the other hand–if your brand and your business is just...

On the other hand–if your brand and your business is just a copy of another, why are you bothering? Think a new thought, develop a new way, create better ways of doing things and you will stand a MUCH greater chance of having the success you desire.

In my world of entertainment, NO ONE succeeds big by copying others. Oh, there are lots of imitators, lots of “pale copies” of the greats–but they remain on the lower rungs of the entertainment business. Able to earn a living, but never soaring to the heights of those they imitate.

I think it’s the same way with most businesses. If you’re an entrepreneur or working at a startup, be sure you’re bringing something new to the table. If you have nothing new to bring, then go work for someone else who does while you learn the fine art of innovation for yourself. 

Need some inspiration for your own creativity? Check out one of my books. Beyond Deception is filled with innovation techniques for magicians, but they can be applied to almost any situation. The Wizard’s Way outlines a whole series of ways of thinking and acting that have served “real wizards,” from da Vinci to Steve Jobs well over time.

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Roosevelt was deeply concerned with building a stronger America,...

Roosevelt was deeply concerned with building a stronger America, and he served through a time when our modern ideas of what it means to be American were just forming. The ideals he expressed seem to me to be those I grew up with. Fairness and justice for all. A government that served all the people equally, that pushed back against those in powerful positions if they used to positions to tilt the playing field in ways unfair to those with less power. 

He also believed strongly in what has become, for many of us, the American Dream: The idea that any individual, no matter their race or religion, if they were willing to work hard, could create a successful life.

Even more important, Roosevelt believed that it was our patriotic duty to stand up for our principles, even (or perhaps especially) when those in power seem to be leading us in a direction at odds with those principles. To  him, each one of us is responsible, not just for our own welfare, but for that of the community, the country and the world we live in. Although he lived in a time vastly different from ours, I certainly find reading his story to be inspiring.

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Sir Isaac wasn’t noted for his personal social skills, but this...

Sir Isaac wasn’t noted for his personal social skills, but this seems a particularly prescient observation… especially in this time when it seems more and more people all over the world seem to be engaging in heated arguments during which they spend more time reviling one another than in actually discussing issues. The ability to actually hold a discussion in which you disagree with someone else, but manage to respect both the person and their point of view is an extremely useful one if you wish to be an agent for positive change.

When we attack another person and their point of view, their natural reaction is to dig in and defend that point of view. However, if you can find a way of at least seeming to agree, to make them “one of us” instead of “the enemy,” you at least have the chance to influence their way of thinking… through stories, role-playing and other techniques. It’s a skill worth practicing.

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This is the first of an experimental new “Wizard Wake Up”...

This is the first of an experimental new “Wizard Wake Up” series. I’m thinking a series of quick “first in the morning’ assignments might help all of us on our journey down the wizard’s path.

Today’s technique is one that makes use of conscious breathing. The breath is a far more potent tool for transformation that most of us might expect. This is only one simple technique that can be used to help you better meld mind and body. Enjoy!

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Hey there, Founders! Hey, Ms. Entrepreneur! You, there, Mr. CEO!...

Hey there, Founders! Hey, Ms. Entrepreneur! You, there, Mr. CEO! When was the last time you “fell over?”  

Are you living too safely, which is to say, not really living at all? Are you actively moving yourself, your business, your organization forward? How have you and your people failed lately? What did you learn?

I wish you all the kind of success Richard Branson has enjoyed–but my wishing won’t make it so, either for me or for you. Let’s get out there together and start moving our lives and organizations in new directions. Take a risk, reap a reward. Do it today!

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Congratulations to Elon Musk and SpaceX for another successful...

Congratulations to Elon Musk and SpaceX for another successful flight and landing of one of his Dragon rockets a few days ago. The primary mission was sending supplies to the International Space Station, but the secondary mission was the landing of the first stage of the rocket safely back on earth… and it was a success. This marked the eighth time they have accomplished this amazing feat, after many, many failures.

Musk is one of that rare breed who has built a huge fortune, and is willing to risk it all to accomplish the incredible. Both Tesla and SpaceX ran a race against time, with delay after delay, and failure after failure sucking up dwindling funds until it looked as though they would go under. And yet, Musk pushed forward, learning from each failure, never hesitating to take the big risk… and eventually succeeded. 

So it gives me (and many others, I’m sure) great pleasure every time I hear of another success. And watching video of one of those rockets land back on earth… that gives me chills every time!

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I love helping smart people become great presenters. My book The...

I love helping smart people become great presenters. My book The Wizard’s Way to Powerful Presentations was created to introduce would-be presenters to the basic concepts of great presentations. I’m often asked to direct or coach someone for a presentation they must give. 

By far my favorite, and most effective way of helping people become great speakers and presenters, though, is through live workshops. In a workshop of 10-20 people you have a live audience that each of the participants can work with. It’s a friendly audience, with all the members rooting for one another’s success. Over the course of 10-12 hours, I’ve seen hundreds of students, performers and business people go from “terrified to terrific,” and have a great time making the transformation.

And, while I’m happy to be the catalyst for you and your group, the truth is that if you can simply give yourselves the experience of speaking in front of others in the kind of “safe” situation we provide in our workshops, that experience alone will go a long way towards making your presentations better. Like driving a car, becoming a great presenter is something you can really learn only through experience. That’s one of the reasons we think of it as a skill for true wizards!

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Is there something you’ve been “fearing to attempt?” Perhaps now...

Is there something you’ve been “fearing to attempt?” Perhaps now is the time to try it. 

There are those who dream and plan and plan, but never do. Most of them you’ve never heard of. Then there are those who just do and do. The react instantly to whatever comes there way. You might have heard of them, but probably not in a good way.

Finally, those who dream and plan and then jump in and execute those plans. They might fail and learn, again and again, but eventually they succeed. You may have heard of some of them: da Vinci, Gandhi, Einstein, Jobs and Musk are just a few. It’s the true wizards who create the world we live in. Don’t you think it would be fun to become one of them?

“The Wizard’s Way” is here to show you how. Why not grab your own copy today? You can grab yours here right now!

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Once we learn the skill of role-playing by mirroring others, we...

Once we learn the skill of role-playing by mirroring others, we can apply that skill to becoming our own “better version” of ourselves.

Tony Robbins talks in several places about the process of modeling those whose skills and lifestyle you want for yourself. The technique is powerful and effective. The ability to imagine yourself at a later time, in improved circumstances, is a first step towards actually achieving those circumstances, to becoming that better self. Here’s a way to accelerate that process!

What’s more, it’s something you can do right away. No waiting, no long learning process. Just watch the video, and try it out!

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OR: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s...

OR: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” 

A famous translation/ paraphrase of a quote from Heraclitus. Change has always been a constant, but today many factors have combined to accelerate the rate of change. There are those among us who long to turn back the hands of time to some earlier, supposedly happier time. Happier folks learn to dance in the stream, and occasionally tweak its path.

This was one of the reasons I sought out and then wrote about The Wizard’s Way. In today’s world, those who learn to seek out and learn from new experiences, who have mastered the art of seeing every situation from multiple perspectives and who take responsibility for the course of their lives–those unusual people will find these times filled with opportunity and joy.

Do you want to learn more about this unusual and exciting life-path? Pick up one of the books, respond to this post, or drop us a line. We’re here to help!

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We can learn a lot about how others think and feel by mimicking...

We can learn a lot about how others think and feel by mimicking the way they move, hold themselves and speak. It’s almost like learning to read their minds. Once you have honed your skills in this way, you’ll be amazed about how much your ability to communicate and persuade will improve.

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It’s really your choice. Will history be something that happens...

It’s really your choice. Will history be something that happens to you, or while you are alive–or will it be something you help to create. Will you choose what you will make of each day, or wait and see what happens to you? True wizards choose and create their experience, and choose the change they want to use their lives to create. It’s not a path for everyone… but if it’s the one you choose, well, then you’re on the wizard’s path!

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This week celebrations of V-Day and A Billion Rising will take...

This week celebrations of V-Day and A Billion Rising will take place around the world. The Wizard who put it all in motion is Eve Ensler, the playwright-activist creator of The Vagina Monologues. Let’s all take a cue from her, and find new ways of leveraging old practices in order to create positive change in the world.

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Fear is excitment without the breath – Fritz Perls.I think...

Fear is excitment without the breath – Fritz Perls.

I think he has something there. We all feel the same things, but some of us choose panic and fear, others excitement. Some choose to see failure as a great tragedy, others simply as a way to learn. Some insist on hanging onto their anger and the stories they tell themselves to keep themselves angry. These are all choices, and it’s when we realize we have the ability to choose that we make ourselves free.

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A free excerpt from The Wizard’s Way to Powerful...

A free excerpt from The Wizard’s Way to Powerful Presentations:

Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion, the law of inertia, also applies to human affairs. We all tend to remain comfortably at rest or in the motions (activities) to which we are habituated, unless we are jolted out of those paths by sufficient force. How will you make sure your story generates sufficient force to jolt your audiences out of the paths to which they’re accustomed, the paths that lie well within their comfort zone?

Stories are a means of giving us vicarious experience. When the heroine of a story has an experience, we mirror that experience—have a less intense version of it—within ourselves. We empathize with the heroine and experience her pain, triumph, disappointment, or joy. We think, “that poor person. I must be careful not to make the choices she made that led her to this unhappy state.” We find ourselves wanting to make the changes in ourselves that will help us become more or less likely to share the fate of that heroine. And yet our joy or pain is less intense than if we actually had had the experience the character in the story has. We can get the lesson of that experience without paying as high a price.

By now, you should be starting to realize what a powerful tool stories can be for your presentations. They will often become your best way of guiding the audience’s emotional state of mind, and getting that to line up with the purpose you’ve set for your talk.

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