The story is told about the world's smartest man coming home to visit his father. The two decided to go camping. They set up the campsite, talked around the fire, and then climbed into the tent to sleep. In the middle of the night, the father woke his son, pointed to the stars above, and said, "What does that tell you?"   Staring at the beautiful twinkling stars overhead, the genius said, "Astronomically, it tells me we are surrounded by billions of galaxies. Scientifically,

Several years ago, I had a big change jar in the closet that I would drop my coins from the day into. Each day might have been a few cents, but they all were put in. Eventually, I decided to take the big jar out to see how much we had in there from my years of saving them. To my absolute amazement, I had accumulated over $900 in coins just a few cents at a time!   Little things add up!   I have a friend who recently got a divorce. They had a good marriage and three beautiful

I recently read an article about the final pieces of advice given by senior citizens as they reflected on their lives. Here are some of the powerful things they said:   I wish I'd lived the life I wanted rather than the one someone else planned for me. Don't sleepwalk through life. You'll miss the important things. You never know the value of a little moment until much later, when you realize how big that moment really was. I wish I had spent more time with my parents listeni

Not every lion who chases the zebra catches one, but every lion who catches the zebra chased one. At the end of every year, I always like to take stock of what I did right and what I missed. This year, in particular, was a year of change and new experiences for me, and I wanted to share five bits of wisdom I learned.   1) Don't be afraid to chase the zebra. "Not every lion who chases the zebra catches one, but every lion who catches the zebra chased one." New experiences offe

I recently made a two-hour drive to speak in another city. Along the way, I decided to play a little game and count the Dollar General stores we passed. In that relatively short drive, we passed ten of them (and two DG Markets)! Sometimes, they were literally the only thing in the area besides the woods. That familiar yellow sign was just poking out among the trees.   Dollar General is effective because their primary focus is to be available where there are few (or any) other

Do you have big dreams?   I'm always surprised by how many people want to write a book. They might have an excellent idea for a novel, think their life story is interesting and others should hear it, or maybe just want to put something down for posterity. Whatever the reason, many people I meet want to write one.   Likewise, I meet a lot of people who would love to travel. They want to visit a big city someday, see some amazing natural wonder, or just get a picture with a fam

I don't remember all my mistakes, but I've had more than one conversation in my life where I didn't think of the perfect thing to say until days later, when it was too late.   Last year, I had a confrontation with someone in a volunteer organization I worked with. This person lost his temper and said something incredibly cruel, and I was so shocked and overwhelmed with possible responses that I ended up saying nothing and walking away. For months afterward, I replayed the con

If someone were to ask you why you are doing the job you do, what would your answer be? Is it because you love your work? Or because you feel called to do it? Or is it just because you need to pay the bills, and you just fell into this job?   Motivation is a powerful thing. When we have already established our "why" in the good moments, we are prepared to refer back to it in the bad moments. When the job is aggravating, or it seems like we aren't making progress, or we just f

Life becomes lighter when you learn how to carry yourself with strength and calm. These 10 skills can help you remain steady, regardless of what happens around you. Look people in the eyes. Confidence shows in your eyes. Meet people’s gaze with calmness, no matter who they are. Pause before you reply A short pause before speaking helps you stay in control and avoid saying things you regret. Plus, it gives them time to continue talking to fill the silence, so you can learn mor

When I was in high school, I got picked on by Jay. He was merciless in his constant harassment and embarrassment of me, and one day I had...

Over the past decade, I've spoken with hundreds of people like you at various events, who have shared their wisdom with me. Today, I...

What is the measure of your success?   I recently spoke to a friend who had undergone a major life change. To everyone looking in from...

Speaking in front of a group can be one of the most intimidating experiences for many. Whether you are addressing colleagues, students,...

"Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today."  - Jordan Peterson   I recently visited a furniture shop...

I'm excited to announce that my newest book, Fearless: Life Beyond Your Comfort Zone , is finally available! Fear is a thief. It robs us...

This post will be short and sweet as I'm trying to prepare for a conference coming up this week. My friend and fellow magician, Paul...

Imagine a corporate event where the audience isn’t just watching but actively participating, their curiosity ignited by the allure of...

We are often too hard on ourselves. It's not fair, though! I can almost guarantee that you are more successful than you think.

When you forgive and forget them, they lose any hold on your life