Mysteries of the Mind Monthly Newsletter

"The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity."
- George Carlin

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

"If you wish to transform, pretend this day until it is so."
- T.F. Hodge

This month I have two great things to share in the main portion of our newsletter.
1) Exciting new beginnings!
2) Wonderful wisdom from the Pope.

1) For years people have stopped me after shows and said:

"You are so much funnier in person than you are on your website" and "After reading your website I didn’t really know what you did until I saw you live!"

This is because my website was built when I was still a full time academic and it was a side page to showcase my love of performance Mentalism.

Also, the demo video on the old site was built from my very first performance at the Magic Castle many years ago.

This week, I am releasing a brand new site! This new site showcases everything in my current show and is completely up to date and ready for you to share-New photos, new video, new everything.

Thank you to my dear friend Michelle at Coda Webworks for all of your hard work and late hours creating this page.

Please look over the new site and let me know if there are any misspelled words or broken links.

You may have to clear your cache to see the new site. If you aren't able to do that, visit here.

2) Happiness lessons from the Pope:

In the Catholic News Service this week, Pope Francis reveals top 10 secrets to happiness. And he is spot on! I am not a Catholic, but I still find him to be a very wise and spiritual man who has a lot of wonderful ideas to share!

1. "Live and let live." Everyone should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, "Move forward and let others do the same."

2. "Be giving of yourself to others." People need to be open and generous toward others, he said, because "if you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid."

3. "Proceed calmly" in life. "He says that in his youth he was a stream full of rocks that he carried with him; as an adult, a rushing river; and in old age, he was still moving, but slowly, like a pool" of water, the pope said. He said he likes this latter image of a pool of water -- to have "the ability to move with kindness and humility, a calmness in life."

4. "A healthy sense of leisure." "Consumerism has brought us anxiety" and stress, causing people to lose a "healthy culture of leisure." Their time is "swallowed up" so people can't share it with anyone.

Families must turn off the TV when they sit down to eat because, having it on during meal time "doesn't let you communicate" with each other, the pope said.

5. Sabbath should be a holiday. Workers should have Sabbath off because "Sabbath is for family," he said.

6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. "We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities they will get into drugs" and be more vulnerable to suicide, he said.

7. Respect and take care of nature. Environmental degradation "is one of the biggest challenges we have," he said. "I think a question that we're not asking ourselves is: 'Isn't humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?'"

8. Stop being negative. "Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, 'I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down,'" the pope said. "Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy."

9. Don't proselytize; respect others' beliefs. "We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: 'I am talking with you in order to persuade you,' No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing," the pope said.

10. Work for peace. "We are living in a time of many wars," he said, and "the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive" and dynamic.

So much great advice here.

Also, let me know if there is anyone in your organization that I should reach out to help in the development of a positive corporate culture that leads to better customer service. I promise to add a little magic along the way!

Your friend,
-Paul Draper
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
801-541-2976

Websites:
wwww.PaulWDraper.com
www.MentalMysteries.com
www.AnthropologyOffice.com
www.helpinghospitalsheal.com

Read more about Paul:
Paul Draper Mentalism (pdf)
Transformational Leadership with Paul Draper (pdf)

"Transformation literally means going beyond your form."
- Wayne Dyer

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Comic Con & Hallmark Channel

Just announced: I'm a celebrity guest for Salt Lake Comic Con. Over 1,200 fans at my live show at FanX a few months ago. Will you be there to experience the show in September?
View Here

Also: Part 1 of my latest appearance on "Home & Family" on the Hallmark Channel. Watch what happens when I discover on live TV that an intern threwaway a sheet of paper that I needed.
Watch Here

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Navigating the Cultural Minefield

Erin Meyer, author of The Culture Map and "Navigating the Cultural Minefield" (HBR May 2014), has identified eight dimensions that together capture a few of the differences within and among cultures - a much more nuanced approach than focusing on just one or two elements, as people usually do.

Using her method, Meyer has developed a new assessment tool for the Harvard Business Review. It allows you to see where you fall on the eight scales. She also offers insights about where people in countries other than your own typically land on the scales.

Read Here