"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." - W. Edwards Deming (The man who helped change manufacturing in Japan and inspired the Toyota Way)

Welcome to October's "Mysteries of the Mind" monthly newsletter!

Fall is upon us. A time of change: the air is crisp, the leaves have changed color and have started to fall in the backyard of my Utah home. Time to grab a rake and a box of garbage bags to clean up most of an acre of lawn. Today is also a great day to carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds in garlic salt in preparation for the celebration!

On Halloween, I will turn 35 years old and take a group of friends through the 3.5 acre Fear Factory haunted house that is one of the greatest hunts in the nation!

Here is the story on Ch 5 TV News
Watch here

And the promo that ran with it:
Watch here

This month also marks a very important milestone for me; thank you for being there with me the whole way! It would have been impossible without you.

5 years ago, this month, the stock market dropped. I lost my full time job and became a full time independent Speaker and Entertainer! How has it been possible?

It was a scary time. A time of great change and transition. I didn't know if I would be able to pay my bills or succeed, but I was going to give it my all. This newsletter started 45 days later and you can read the whole journey here:
Read here

The key has been in constant and consistent improvement. Every day, looking at what I do and asking, "how can I do it better?" "Where am I falling behind, and how can I be better at adding value to others, so they will help me reach my goals as I support them in reaching theirs?"

To succeed in this economy we must strive to push the pebble forward an inch every day. We must choose a goal and move towards it. If the wind blows us back an inch, a foot or even a mile, we may need to take a day to brush ourselves off. Then the next day, we must begin again anew and move forward an inch. And then after 5 years of "an inch each day," we will look back and marvel at just how far we have come! We must all be like the phoenix that rises from the flame and the butterfly who was once just a caterpillar with a dream of flight.

Yet, we must never forget where we have come from. There is power in remembering our past, living in the present, and reaching towards the future. Here I am performing as the Lion in the Wiz when I was 17 years old. And again, last month, to raise money and celebrate the building of a new school 17 years later!

This show, as a 17 year old, made me believe that I could succeed as a presenter of stories, magic and songs that would inspire, educate, and entertain. It just took me a decade to act on it!

Send me an email about your adventures. It would be great to catch up with you. (Yes, you)

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

Websites:
wwww.PaulWDraper.com
www.MentalMysteries.com
www.MentalMystery.com (agent friendly site)
www.helpinghospitalsheal.com
www.AnthropologyOffice.com

"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." -Steve Jobs

Lee Memorial Health Systems
Ft. Myers, Florida
September 30th – October 14th

Magic and Meaning
Las Vegas, Nevada
October 16th – 19th

Mandalay Bay Foundation Room
Las Vegas, Nevada
October 28th

Paul Draper's Birthday
Salt Lake City, Utah
October 31st

Mindvention
Las Vegas, Nevada
November 10th – 12th

Lee Memorial Health System:
Ft. Myers, Florida
December 8th – 13th

JW Marriott Party
Las Angeles, California
December 14th

Weber State 125th Event
Ogden, Utah
January 7th

Utah Theater Association
Ogden, Utah
January 16th -18th

Las Vegas Opry:
Summerlin, Nevada
January 25th

Lecture:
Long Island, New York
February 6th

Lecture:
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
February 10th

Lecture:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 12th

Lecture:
Rosedale, Maryland
February 14th

My 16 steps to success that I try to follow every day:

• Goal setting
• Hard work
• Dedication
• Education
• Focus
• Courage
• Sacrifice
• Listen to mentors
• Reassessment
• Give to Charity
• Team building
• Relationships
• Family
• Replenish myself
• Mentor others
• Luck

International Magicians Society

The International Magicians Society (IMS) awarded me with their highest honor, the Merlin Award for "Corporate Entertainer of the Year 2013". Here I am with the award and my grandma Grace Ruth Block the week of her 94th Birthday! Thank you, IMS, for shipping it directly to her house so she could be the first to see it!

To see what my corporate lectures may look like visit:
Watch here

Halloween & Houdini

This month I shot an episode of Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" that will air in a few months. It was so exciting to be a part of this wonderful experience!

But since Halloween is also the anniversary of Houdini's death, I thought it would be fun to share with you my very first international television appearance from 10 years ago - the HISTORY Channel special Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery! My segment was shot in the special collections library of the University of Nevada Las Vegas while I was still teaching there. Enjoy!
Watch here