My mind wanders ....

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, my mind wonders. I want to keep focused on one thing and another thing takes over. Let's say, for example, I want to concentrate fully on AutoTrader.com and make sure that I'm successful as I can be with it. All of the sudden I fall upon a website or just pick up a book or just think about ventriloquism or magic. Then guess where all my focus goes? You got it, on ventriloquism or magic. I really need to find focus in my life as well as balance. Is there time for all 3? AutoTrader.com, ventriloquism and magic? You bet there is. But how? One key word, BALANCE.

I have to balance my life and schedule time for each one of these thing. When I do, I will be more successful in all 3. Until I do, all 3 will suffer. So, today, please pray that I find a balance in my life for not only the 3 things I mentioned but also find balance with my family and spiritual life. Balance is a good thing and too much time on any one is not good for anybody. As goes balance, so goes life.

Dream big and never stop!

I often wonder how people get the breaks in life. You may know what I'm talking about. Growing up I had the pleasure of hanging out with a good friend, Johnny Ace Palmer. Johnny has never worked a REAL job in his life. He has never thrown boxes at a distribution center or waited on people at a retail store. Johnny has never had to get up at 3:00am in the morning to make the donuts or wash cars for a living. You see, Johnny is a magician. He always has been and always will be. Johnny knew from a very young age what he wanted to be a pursued that his whole life. I don't know if Johnny has ever questioned that decision but I doubt it. Johnny is doing what he always desired. He's doing what he loves. He always has and, chances are pretty good, he always will.

Then there's Jeff Dunham. I'm not sure if Jeff has actually ever worked a REAL job but I am pretty sure he hasn't. Jeff has been talking to himself for, well pretty much his whole life, and been getting payed to do it. Jeff, like Johnny, has always been and always will be a professional ventriloquist. He's doing what he loves and I'll betcha 10 to 1 he has never woken up and said, "Man, I hate what I do. I need to go find a REAL job."

I remember when I was in Amway we used to begin our meetings getting people dreaming and we would ask the question, "If time and money were no object, what would you do? What car would you drive? What house would you live in? What would you do every day of your life?" It was great to dream. To take some time to say, "What if....." You know why I admire Jeff and Johnny? Because they dreamed when they were young and never lost track of their goal. I don't think Johnny ever expected to be a featured performer every year at the Magic Castle and I'll also bet that Jeff never expected to have 3 specials airing on TV and becoming the next ventriloquist icon. But one thing they did do is chase their dream. They knew what they wanted to do and worked hard to become what they are today.

What is your passion? What do you want to do? What if time and money were no object? What would you do for a living? Ask yourself this question, chase your dream and never falter from it and you too may become the next Jeff Dunham or Johnny Ace Palmer in your field.

Shows, AutoTrader.com and Why I can't sleep.

I'm posting this at 2:43am. I'm sitting up because I can't sleep. I have 1000 things running through my head right now. Many, of which, involve my career with AutoTrader.com and also my entertaining. Just did a show this evening for a 5 year olds birthday party. It went really well. Had a lot of fun and the kids, as well as the adults, were very attentive. Afterward I noticed that one of the children got a Svengalli Deck so I showed the adults how to use it and how it worked. Lots of fun.

I'm trying to figure out some new stuff, especially with mentalism. One thought ran through my head tonight. If you're not a magician this won't make sense to you. But using the Thought Transmitter you can talk about visual and non visual selection and how they make a difference and tell a little about a person. Then, using a Boris Wild deck you have the spectator select 4 random cards, lay them out side by side and tell them to place their hands over all 4 and they will feel stronger about 2 of them. They select those 2 and discard the other 2, then tell them to place their hands of the 2 cards and they will feel stronger about 1. You tell them to keep that card and discard the last but don't look at the face of the card. Next, you lay out the 5 ESP symbols face up and have them think of one. Now, while your back is turned you have them write on a card that you hand them, the value of the card, the suit of the card and the symbol they selected and place it in the Thought Transmitter. Then have them gather up the ESP cards and bury the card they selected in the deck. Turn around and place a rubberband around the Thought Transmitter and then, Cold Reading time! Here's how the card looks that is put in the Thought Transmitter case.

Obviously, using the BW Deck you will know the value of the card and, if you know how the Thought Transmitter works, you know how you know the symbol as well. Gonna give it a try and see how it works out but seems to me like it would be a lot of fun. I'll let you know. This, as well as many other things is what keeps me up at night! BTW, special thanks to Tom Craven for giving me the idea for the card for the Thought Transmitter. He does something very similar.