"Sweet April showers do spring May flowers."
- Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557

I know, I’m a little late sending this out (is it really already the last day of the month?), but I have been doing something very important: Spring Cleaning!

It is the month of April and time to air out and clean the house!

So what is the origin of Spring Cleaning?

In times past, when people kept their houses shut tight against the winter and heated homes with coal, oil and wood, the coming of spring signaled a welcome opportunity to transform a dingy house into a fresh home. Some say that the origin of the cleansing is found in the Jewish celebration of Passover. Others say that it dates back to Persian New Year, which falls on the first day of spring. Today the history of Spring Cleaning even has it’s own Wikipedia entry!

10 Spring Cleaning tips:

1. Make a list: of the areas that you wish to clean. Check them off as you go along.
2. If You've Got Several Areas to be Organized: Start with just one.
3. Allow Plenty of Time: Allow time across several days or perhaps over two weekends.
4. Letting Go: If you haven’t used it, worn it or touched it in 5 years… let it go.
5. Look for Wasted Space: Are there better ways to utilize your storage spaces?
6. Clean the Microwave: And other hard to reach areas.
7. Visibility & Accessibility: 6 staplers around the house aren’t as useful as 1 you can find.
8. Get Your Junk Drawer Organized: We all have one. This is a great starting spot!
9. Open All Your Windows: Let in fresh air, and release the gasses and chemicals that build up in our modern air tight homes! You will breath better and feel better!
10. Throw Away Outdated Medication and Expired Food! : This did so much to free up my kitchen and bathroom.

The motivational power of clearing up clutter and getting organized is enormous! Piles of paper and possessions lying around can weigh us down as much as a stone or boulder dangling around our neck. When the material rubbish of the house is cleared away, the rubbish of the mind tends to follow. This allows new thoughts and energy to come in.

Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and so many other wonderful organizations are happy to accept your old clothes, canned and dry goods, old electronics , books, and more! They will even give you a donation slip that will help you on next years taxes. Yard sales and garage sales are also always a fun way to make a few extra dollars and meet your neighbors!

So as it warms up outside, let’s all air out our homes and clean up our lives! Spring cleaning comes but once a year! Take this opportunity today! You’ll love yourself for it tomorrow.

“Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party!"
- Robin Williams

Your friend,
-Paul Draper
paul@mentalmysteries.com
801-541-2976

Websites:
Mental Mysteries
Mental Mystery (agent friendly site)

IBM Charity Auction
Las Vegas, Nevada
April 7

House of Blues
Las Vegas, Nevada
April 20

Earth Day Celebration
Las Vegas, Nevada
April 22

Tyler Kyle and Mistie: Knight Wedding
April 23

Private Corporate Banquet
Las Vegas
April 24

Jeff and Joanne: Celentano Wedding
April 28

Performance Excellence Training
West Palm Beach, Florida
May 3-10

Workshops & Shows
Missoula, Montana
May 3-5

PEA
Los Angeles, California
June 9-13

Sandy Amphitheater
Sandy, Utah
June 24-25

EMC
Las Vegas, Nevada
July 15-17

Las Vegas IBM Ring Lecture
Las Vegas, Nevada
August 2

Magic in the Rockies
Fort Collin, Colorado
Sept. 8-13

Night of Magic
Ogden, Utah
Sept 24 -25

Fun Quotes & Fun Clips

"Out of Clutter, Find Simplicity. From Discord, Find Harmony. In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity."
- Albert Einstein

I ran clips of MythBusters and “Ask a Ninja” in the background on my laptop while I cleaned! Fun music , books on tape or shows that make you laugh can be a great way to keep your energy up while cleaning! They helped me, maybe they will be right for you too. Please send me an e-mail with your favorite funny clips and let me know your secret weapon for spring cleaning!

MythBusters - Ask A Ninja!

News Interviews Uploaded

Paul Draper performs mindreading, influence and spoon bending on October 2009 in Utah before the Channel 5 News anchors!

These anchors and their producer loved the presentation so much that they all attended my show that night!

October 2009 in Utah before the Channel 2 News: Paul Draper appears on multiple news segments. Watch as he influences thoughts, bends spoons, and reads minds... even while blindfolded in layers of steel, cloth and duct tape!