"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."
~Lucille Ball

It's June, and it's time for a change! Change always makes me happy! Why? Because it brings new challenges, new perspectives and new opportunities! Through embracing new ideas, tools, paths and routines, I find personal growth!

Throughout life I have always seen June as a time for a change--a time for letting go of the past and taking the next step! Most of us finished grade school in June and begin to learn about the terrifying, hormonal world of middle school! We left middle school in June and faced the daunting task of entering high school. We graduated high school to enter the workforce, the military, college or university!

June was a time for family vacations where we saw new sights and expanded our horizons.

And so it is June once again. But we are faced with a new task. Seeking out change on our own!

Change can be a scary word! For some, even terrifying. But here are some simple things that we can change that have been proven to scientifically help our brains stay fresh, alert and active!

1. Change you desk around. Put the paperclips and wastepaper basket in a new spot in the room. Reorganize your photos and, perhaps, add a plant!
   
   
2. Take a different route to work. See what stores, homes and opportunities are literally "Just around the corner."
   
   
3. Brush your teeth with the opposite hand. Draw a picture or journal with your opposite hand. Write about what you learn.
   
   
4. Take a shower with your eyes closed.
   
   
5. Eat a meal with your fingers!
   
   
6. When you first wake up, wiggle your toes. Then your legs, then pelvis, torso, fingers, arms, shoulders, neck and head. Isolate each part and think about it!
   
   
7. Eat a style of food or at a cultural restaurant that you have never eaten at before.
   
   
8. See a style of movie that you wouldn’t ordinarily choose!
   
   
9. Get in the car and drive with no destination in mind and see where you end up!

These are some fun games that will help keep our minds active and engaged as we age. A mind is a terrible thing to waste! Let's all make sure to keep an active mind this summer filled with possibilities and open to opportunities!

"They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."
~ Confucius

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

Websites:
Mental Mysteries
Mental Mystery (agent friendly site)

"We have five senses in which we glory and which we recognize and celebrate, senses that constitute the sensible world for us. But there are other senses - secret senses, sixth senses, if you will - equally vital, but unrecognized, and unlauded."
- Oliver Sacks: Physician, Author & Neurologist

Grad Nights
Butte/Missoula, Montana
June 3 - 5

Trade Show in Caeser's Palace
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 14 - 16

Sandy Amphitheater
Sandy, Utah
June 24 - 25

NX10: The Noblezada Experience
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 28

Anime Expo 2010
Los Angeles, California
July 1

Magic Castle
Hollywood, California
July 2 - 3

Private Party
Malibu, California
July 4

EMC
Las Vegas, Nevada
July 15 - 17

Las Vegas 48 Hour Film Fest
Las Vegas, Nevada
July 23 - 25

Las Vegas IBM Ring Lecture
Las Vegas, Nevada
August 2

Helping Hospitals Heal
Stuart, Florida
August 31 - September 1

Mystique Dining
Boise, Idaho
September 6 - October 31

Magic in the Rockies
Fort Collins, Colorado
September 8-13

Cruise Ship: Holland America
Caribbean
December 3-13

Optical Illusions Show How We See

Beau Lotto's color games puzzle your vision, but they also spotlight what you can't normally see: how your brain works. This fun, first-hand look at your own versatile sense of sight reveals how evolution tints our perception of what's really out there.

Beau Lotto is the founder of Lottolab, a hybrid art studio and science lab. With glowing, interactive sculpture and good, old-fashioned peer-reviewed research, he illuminates the mysteries of the brain's visual system.

Anime Expo 2010

I will be performing in a 2,000 seat theater at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 1st for the Anime Expo 2010. There are currently over 40,000 registrants for this fabulously fun convention! Seating will be first come, first served. Where else can see great magic and manga all in one place!

But if you are in Los Angeles and miss my show at the Anime Expo you can also catch me next month in the Peller Theater at the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood California July 2nd and 3rd!